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One of the Golden Feathers Fell to the Ground 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


AND OTHER STORIES 

> y 




With illustrations in color 
by Wuanita Smith 

And in black and white 
by Edward Shenton 

George W. Jacobs & Compan 

Publishers Philadelphia 




Copyright, 1922, by 
George W. Jacobs & Company 


^<> 

- * 

tv 


All rights reserved 
Printed in U. S. A. 


NQV 13 ’22 


©CW703004 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The Golden Bird 7 

The Gallant Tailor 21 

The Twelve Dancing Princesses . .37 

King Thrushbeard . s . . . 44 

Tom Thumb . . . . . .53 

Rapunzel . . . . . . .64 

The Raven 71 

The Goosegirl 81 

Cinderella 92 

The Frog Prince 105 

Red Riding Hood 112 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


One of the golden feathers fell to the ground Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

They went right down until they got quite under- 
ground 38 

She thought with a heavy heart of her sad fate . 44 

He went to the tower and cried, “Rapunzel, Ra- 
punzel, let down your hair ” .... 64 

He had gone outside, taken off the cloak, and 

mounted his horse 72 

A strong wind blew away Conrad’s hat ... 82 

“ Oh, is it you, old waddler ? ” said she . . 106 



THE GOLDEN BIRD 


LONG time ago there was a king who had 



^ a lovely pleasure-garden around his pal- 
ace, and in it stood a tree which bore golden 
apples. When the apples were nearly ripe they 
were counted, but the very next morning one was 
missing. 

This was reported to the King, and he ordered 
a watch to be set every night under the tree. 

The King had three sons, and he sent the eldest 
into the garden at nightfall; but by midnight he 
was overcome with sleep, and in the morning an- 
other apple was missing. 

On the following night the second son had to 
keep watch, but he fared no better. When the 
clock struck twelve, he, too, was fast asleep, and 
in the morning another apple was gone. 

The turn to watch now came to the third son. 
He was quite ready, but the King had not much 
confidence in him, and thought that he would 
accomplish even less than his brothers. At last, 
however, he gave his permission ; so the youth lay 


8 THE GOLDEN BIRD 

down under the tree to watch, determined not to 
go to sleep. 

As the clock struck twelve there was a rustling 
in the air, and by the light of the moon he saw a 
bird, whose shining feathers were of pure gold. 
The bird settled on the tree, and was just pluck- 
ing an apple when the young prince shot an ar- 
row at it. The bird flew away, but the arrow 
hit its plumage, and one of the golden feathers 
fell to the ground. The Prince picked it up, and 
in the morning took it to the King and told him 
all that he had seen in the night. 

The King assembled his council, and every- 
body declared that a feather like that was worth 
more than the whole kingdom. “ If the feather 
is worth so much,” said the King, “ one will not 
satisfy me; I must and will have the whole 
bird.” 

The eldest, relying on his cleverness, set out in 
search of the bird, and thought that he would be 
sure to find it soon. 

When he had gone some distance he saw a fox 
sitting by the edge of a wood ; he raised his gun 
and aimed at it. The fox cried out, “ Do not 
shoot me, and I will give you some good advice. 
You are going to look for the Golden Bird; you 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


9 


will come to a village at nightfall, where you will 
find two inns opposite each other. One of them 
will be brightly lighted, and there will be singing 
and dancing going on in it. Be sure you do not 
choose that one, but go into the other, even if you 
don’t like the looks of it so well.” 

“ How can a stupid animal like that give me 
good advice? ” thought the King’s son, and he 
pulled the trigger, but missed the fox, who 
turned tail and made off into the wood. 

Thereupon the Prince continued his journey, 
and at nightfall reached the village with the two 
inns. Singing and dancing were going on in the 
one, and the other looked poor and shabby. 

“ I should be a fool,” he said, “ if I were to go 
to that poor-looking place with this good one so 
near.” 

So he went into the noisy one, and lived there, 
singing and dancing, forgetting the bird, his fa- 
ther, and all his good counsels. 

When some time had passed and the eldest son 
did not come back, the second started to seek the 
Golden Bird. He met the fox, as the eldest son 
had done, and it gave him the same good advice, 
of which he took just as little heed. 

He came to the two inns, and saw his brother 


10 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


standing at the window of the noisy one. He 
went in and gave himself up to a life of pleasure. 

Again some time passed, and the King’s 
youngest son wanted to go out to try his luck; 
but his father would not let him go. 

“ It is useless,” he said. “ He will be even 
less able to find the Golden Bird than his broth- 
ers, and when any ill luck overtakes him, he will 
not be able to help himself ; he has no backbone.” 

But at last, because he gave him no peace, he 
let him go. The fox again sat at the edge of the 
wood, begged for its life, and gave its good ad- 
vice. The Prince was good-natured, and said: 
“ Be calm, little fox, I will do thee no harm.” 

“ You won’t repent it,” answered the fox; 
“ and so that you may get along faster, come and 
mount on my tail.” 

No sooner had he seated himself than the fox 
began to run, and away they flew over stock and 
stone, at such a pace that his hair whistled in the 
wind. 

When they reached the village, the Prince dis- 
mounted, and following the good advice of the 
fox, he went straight to the shabby inn without 
looking about him, and there he passed a peace- 
ful night. In the morning when he went out 


11 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 

into the fields, there sat the fox, who said: “ I 
will now tell you what you must do next. Walk 
straight on till you come to a castle, in front of 
which a whole regiment of soldiers is encamped. 
Don’t be afraid of them; they will all be asleep 
and snoring. Walk through the midst of them 
straight into the castle, and through all the 
rooms, and at last you will reach an apartment 
where the Golden Bird will be hanging in a com- 
mon wooden cage. A golden cage stands near it 
for show, but beware ! whatever you do, you must 
not take the bird out of the wooden cage to put it 
into the other, or it will be the worse for you.” 

After these words the fox again stretched out 
his tail, the Prince took his seat on it, and away 
they flew over stock and stone, till his hair whis- 
tled in the wind. 

When he arrived at the castle, he found every- 
thing just as the fox had said. 

The Prince went to the room where the Golden 
Bird hung in the wooden cage, with a golden 
cage standing by, and the three golden apples 
were scattered about the room. He thought it 
would be absurd to leave the beautiful bird in the 
common old cage, so he opened the door, caught 
it, and put it into the golden cage. But as he 


12 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


did it, the bird uttered a piercing shriek. The 
soldiers woke up, rushed in, and carried him 
away to prison. Next morning he was taken be- 
fore a judge, and, as he confessed all, he was sen- 
tenced to death. The King, however, said that 
he would spare his life on one condition, and this 
was that he should bring him the Golden Horse 
which runs faster than the wind. In addition, 
he should have the Golden Bird as a reward. 

So the Prince set off with many sighs ; he was 
very sad, for where was he to find the Golden 
Horse? 

Then suddenly he saw his old friend the fox 
sitting in the road. “ Now you see,” said the 
fox, “ all this has happened because you did not 
listen to me. All the same, keep up your spirits ; 
I will protect you and tell you how to find the 
Golden Horse. You must keep straight along 
the road, and you will come to a palace, in the 
stable of which stands the Golden Horse. The 
grooms will be lying around the stable, but they 
will be fast asleep and snoring, and you can 
safely lead the horse through them. Only, one 
thing you must beware of. Put the old saddle 
of wood and leather upon it, and not the golden 
one hanging near, or you will be sorry for it.” 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


13 


Then the fox stretched out his tail, the Prince 
took his seat, and away they flew over stock and 
stone, till his hair whistled in the wind. 

Everything happened just as the fox had said. 
The Prince came to the stable where the Golden 
Horse stood, but when he was about to put the 
old saddle on its back, he thought, “ Such a beau- 
tiful animal deserves to have the good saddle 
upon him.” Hardly had the golden saddle 
touched the horse than he began neighing loudly. 
The grooms awoke, seized the Prince, and threw 
him into a dungeon. 

The next morning he was taken before a 
judge, and condemned to death; but the King 
promised to spare his life, and give him the 
Golden Horse as well, if he could bring him the 
beautiful princess out of the golden palace. 
With a heavy heart the Prince set out, when to 
his delight he soon met the faithful fox. 

“ I ought to leave you to your fate,” he said; 
“ but I will have pity on you and once more help 
you out of your trouble. Your road leads 
straight to the golden palace, — you will reach it 
in the evening; and at night, when everything is 
quiet, the beautiful princess will go to take a 
bath. As she goes along, spring forward and 


14 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


give her a kiss, and she will follow you. Lead 
her away with you ; only on no account allow her 
to bid her parents good-by, or it will go badly 
with you.” 

Again the fox stretched out his tail, the Prince 
seated himself upon it, and off they flew over 
stock and stone, till his hair whistled in the wind. 

When he got to the palace, it was just as the 
fox had said. He waited till midnight, and when 
the whole palace was wrapped in sleep, and the 
maiden went to take a bath, he sprang forward 
and gave her a kiss. She said she was quite will- 
ing to go with him, but she begged him to let her 
say good-by to her parents. At first he refused; 
but as she cried, and fell at his feet, at last he 
gave her leave. Hardly had the maiden stepped 
up to her father’s bed, when he and every one else 
in the palace woke up. The Prince was seized 
and thrown into prison. 

Next morning the King said to him, “ Your 
life is forfeited, and it can only be spared if you 
clear away the mountain in front of my window, 
which shuts out the view. It must be done in 
eight days, and if you succeed you shall have my 
daughter as a reward.” 

So the Prince began his labors, and he dug and 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


15 


shoveled without ceasing. On the seventh day, 
when he saw how little he had done, he became 
very sad, and gave up all hope. However, in 
the evening the fox appeared and said, “ You do 
not deserve any help from me, but lie down and 
go to sleep; I will do the work.” In the morn- 
ing when he woke and looked out of the window, 
the mountain had disappeared. 

Overjoyed, the Prince hurried to the King 
and told him that the mountain had been cleared 
away, and, whether he liked it or not, he must 
keep his word and give him his daughter. 

So they both went away together, and before 
long the faithful fox joined them. 

“ You certainly have got the best thing of all,” 
said he; “ but to the maiden of the golden palace 
the Golden Horse belongs.” 

“ How am I to get it? ” asked the Prince. 

“ Oh! I will tell you that,” answered the fox. 
“ First take the beautiful maiden to the King 
who sent you to the golden palace. There will 
be great joy when you appear, and they will 
bring out the Golden Horse to you. Mount it 
at once, and shake hands with everybody, last of 
all with the beautiful maiden ; and when you have 
taken her hand firmly, pull her up beside you 


16 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


with a swing and gallop away. No one will be 
able to catch you, for the horse goes faster than 
the wind.” 

All this was successfully done, and the Prince 
carried off the beautiful maiden on the Golden 
Horse. 

The fox was not far off, and he said to the 
Prince, “ Now I will help you to get the Golden 
Bird, too. When you approach the castle where 
the Golden Bird lives, let the maiden dismount, 
and I will take care of her. Then ride with the 
Golden Horse into the courtyard of the castle; 
there will be great rejoicing when they see you, 
and they will bring out the Golden Bird to you. 
As soon as you have the cage in your hand, gal- 
lop back to us and take up the maiden again.” 

When these plans had succeeded, and the 
Prince was ready to ride on with all his treasures, 
the fox said to him: 

“ Now you must reward me for my help.” 

“ What do you want? ” asked the Prince. 

“ When you reach that wood, shoot me dead 
and cut off my head and my paws.” 

“ That would indeed be gratitude!” said the 
Prince. “ I can’t possibly promise to do such a 
thing.” 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


17 


The fox said, “ If you won’t do it, I must 
leave you; but before I go I will give you one 
more piece of advice. Beware of two things — 
buy no gallows-birds, and don’t sit on the edge of 
a well.” Saying which, he ran off into the wood. 

The Prince thought, “ That is a strange ani- 
mal; what whims he has. Who on earth would 
want to buy gallows-birds! And the desire to 
sit on the edge of a well has never yet seized me!” 

He rode on with the beautiful maiden, and the 
road led him through the village where his two 
brothers had stayed behind. There was a great 
hubbub in the village, and when he asked what it 
was about, he was told that two persons were go- 
ing to be hanged. When he got nearer he saw 
that they were his brothers, who had done all 
sorts of evil deeds. He asked if they could not 
be set free. 

“ Yes, if you’ll ransom them,” answered the 
people; “but why will you throw your money 
away in buying off such wicked people? ” 

He did not stop to reflect, however, but paid 
the ransom for them, and when they were set free 
they all journeyed on together. 

They came to the wood where they had first 
met the fox. It was deliciously cool there, while 


18 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


the sun was broiling outside, so the two brothers 
said, “ Let us sit down here by the well to rest a 
little and eat and drink.” The Prince agreed, 
and while they were talking he forgot what he 
was about, and seated himself on the edge of the 
well. Thereupon his two brothers threw him 
backwards into it, and went home to their father, 
taking with them the maiden, the horse, and the 
bird. 

“ Here we bring you not only the Golden 
Bird, but the Golden Horse, and the maiden 
from the golden palace, as our booty.” 

Thereupon there was great rejoicing; but the 
horse would not eat, the bird would not sing, and 
the maiden sat and wept all day. 

The youngest brother had not perished, how- 
ever. Happily the well was dry, and he fell 
upon soft moss, so that he was not hurt; only, he 
could not get out. 

Even then the faithful fox did not forsake 
him, but came leaping down and scolded him for 
not taking his advice. “ I can’t leave you to 
your fate, though; I must help you to get back 
to the light of day.” He told him to take tight 
hold of his tail, and then he dragged him up. 
“ You are not out of every danger even now,” 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 19 

said the fox. “ Your brothers were not sure of 
your death, so they have set watchers all over the 
wood to kill you if they see you.” 

A poor old man was sitting by the roadside, 
and the Prince exchanged clothes with him, and 
by this means he succeeded in reaching the King’s 
court. 

Nobody recognized him, but the bird began to 
sing, the horse began to eat, and the beautiful 
maiden left off crying. 

In astonishment the King asked, “ What does 
all this mean? ” 

The maiden answered: “ I do not know; but I 
was very sad, and now I am gay. It seems to 
me that my true bridegroom must have come.” 

She told the King all that had happened, al- 
though the two brothers had threatened her with 
death if she betrayed anything. The King or- 
dered every person in the palace to be brought 
before him. Among them came the Prince dis- 
guised as an old man in all his rags; but the 
maiden knew him at once, and fell on his neck. 
The wicked brothers were seized and put to 
death ; but the Prince was married to the beauti- 
ful maiden, and proclaimed heir to the King. 

But what became of the poor fox? Long af- 


20 


THE GOLDEN BIRD 


terwards, when the Prince went out into the 
fields one day, he met the fox, who said: “ You 
have everything that you can desire, but there is 
no end to my misery. It still lies in your power 
to release me.” And again he implored the 
Prince to shoot him dead, and to cut off his head 
and his paws. 

At last the Prince consented to do as he was 
asked, and no sooner was it done than the fox 
was changed into a man; no other than the 
brother of the beautiful princess, at last set free 
from the evil spell which so long had lain upon 
him. 

There was nothing now wanting to their hap- 
piness for the rest of their lives. 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 



NE summer morning a little tailor was sit- 


ting on his board near the window, and 
working cheerfully with all his might, when an 
old woman came down the street crying: 

“ Good jelly to sell! good jelly to sell! ” 

The cry sounded pleasant in the little tailor’s 
ears, so he put his head out of the window, and 
called out: 

“ Here, my good woman — come here, if you 
want a customer.” 

So the poor woman climbed the steps with her 
heavy basket, and was obliged to unpack and 
show all her pots to the tailor. He looked at 
every one of them, and lifting all the lids, applied 
his nose to each, and said at last: 

“ The jelly seems pretty good; you may weigh 
me out four half ounces, or I don’t mind having 
a quarter of a pound.” 

The woman, who had expected to find a good 
customer, gave him what he asked for, but went 
off angry and grumbling. 

“ This jelly is the very thing for me,” cried the 


22 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


little tailor; “ it will give me strength and cun- 
ning ”; and he took down the bread from the 
cupboard, cut a slice, spread the jelly on it, laid 
it near him, and went on stitching more gallantly 
than ever. All the while the odor of the sweet 
jelly was spreading through the room and at- 
tracting many flies. 

“Now, then, who asked you to come? ,, said 
the tailor, and drove the unbidden guests away. 
But the flies, not understanding his language, 
were not to be got rid of like that, and returned 
in larger numbers than before. Then the tailor 
took from his chimney-corner a cloth, and say- 
ing, 

“ Now, I’ll let you have it! ” struck at the flies. 
When he stopped he found that he had killed 
seven of them. 

“ This is fine,” he said, wondering at his own 
gallantry; “ the whole town shall know this.” 

So he hastened to cut out a belt, and he stitched 
it, and put on it in large capitals “ Seven at one 
blow! ” 

“ — The town, did I say! ” said the little tailor; 
“ the whole world shall know it ! ” And his heart 
quivered with joy, like a lamb’s tail. 

The tailor fastened the belt round him, and 


THE GAELANT TAILOR 23 

began to think of going out into the world, for 
his workshop seemed too small for his proud po- 
sition. So he looked about in all the house for 
something that would be useful to take with him, 
but he found nothing but an old cheese, which he 
put in his pocket. Outside the door he noticed 
that a bird had got caught in the bushes, so he 
took that and put it in his pocket with the cheese. 
Then he set out gallantly on his way, and as he 
was light and active he felt no fatigue. The way 
led over a mountain, and when he reached the 
topmost peak he saw a terrible giant sitting there, 
and looking about him at his ease. The tailor 
went bravely up to him, called out to him, and 
said: 

“ Comrade, good day! there you sit looking 
over the wide world ! I am on the way thither to 
seek my fortune; would you like to go with me? ” 

The giant looked at the tailor scornfully, and 
said: 

“ You little rascal! you miserable fellow! ” 

“That may be!” answered the little tailor, 
and undoing his coat he showed the giant his 
belt ; “ you can read there whether I am a man or 
not! ” 

The giant read: “Seven at one blow!” and 


24 THE GALLANT TAILOR 

thinking it meant men that the tailor had killed, 
felt at once more respect for the little fellow. 
But as he wanted to test him, he took up a stone 
and squeezed it so hard that water came out of it. 

“ Now you can do that,” said the giant, — 
“ that is, if you have the strength for it.” 

“ That’s not much,” said the little tailor, “ I 
call that play,” and he put his hand in his pocket 
and took out the cheese and squeezed it, so that 
the whey ran out of it. 

“ Well,” said he, “ what do you think of that? ” 

The giant did not know what to say to it, for 
he could not have believed it of the little mam 
Then the giant took up a stone and threw it so 
high that it went nearly out of sight. 

“ Now, little fellow, suppose you do that! ” 

“ Well thrown,” said the tailor; “ but the stone 
fell back to earth again, — I will throw one that 
will never come back.” So he felt in his pocket, 
took out the bird, and threw it into the air. And 
the bird, when it found itself at liberty, took 
wing, flew off, and returned no more. 

“ What do you think of that, comrade? ” asked 
the tailor. 

“ There is no doubt that you can throw,” said 
the giant; “ but we will see if you can carry.” 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


25 


He led the little tailor to a mighty oak-tree 
which had been cut down, and was lying on the 
ground, and said: 

“ Now, if you are strong enough, help me to 
cany this tree out of the wood.” 

“Willingly,” answered the little man; “you 
take the trunk on your shoulders, I will take the 
branches with all their leaves; that is much the 
most difficult.” 

So the giant took the trunk on his shoulders, 
and the tailor seated himself on a branch, and the 
giant, who could not see what he was doing, had 
the whole tree to carry, and the little man on it as 
well. And the little man was very cheerful and 
merry, and whistled the tune: “There were three 
tailors riding by” as if carrying the tree was 
mere child’s play. The giant, when he had strug- 
gled on under his heavy load a part of the way, 
was tired out, and cried: 

“ Look here, I must let go the tree! ” 

The tailor jumped off quickly, and taking hold 
of the tree with both arms, as if he were carrying 
it, said to the giant: 

“ You see you can’t carry the tree, though you 
are such a big fellow! ” 

They went on together a little farther, and 


26 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


presently they came to a cherry-tree, and the 
giant took hold of the topmost branches, where 
the rij>est fruit hung, and pulling them down, 
gave them to the tailor to hold, bidding him eat. 
But the little tailor was much too weak to hold 
the tree, and as the giant let go, the tree sprang 
back, and the tailor was caught up into the air. 
And when he dropped down again without any 
harm, the giant said to him : 

“ How is this? Haven’t you strength enough 
to hold such a weak sprig as that? ” 

“ It is not strength that is lacking,” answered 
the little tailor; “ how should it be to one who has 
slain seven at one blow! I just jumped over the 
tree because the hunters are shooting down 
there in the bushes. You jump it too, if you 
can.” 

The giant made the attempt, and not being 
able to jump over the tree, he remained hanging 
in the branches, so that once more the little tailor 
got the better of him. Then said the giant: 

“As you are such a gallant fellow, suppose 
you come with me to our den, and stay the 
night.” 

The tailor was quite willing, and he followed 
him. When they reached the den there sat some 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 27 

other giants by the fire, and they all gladly wel- 
comed him. The little tailor looked round and 
thought: 

“ There is more elbow-room here than in my 
workshop.” 

And the giant showed him a bed, and told him 
he had better lie down upon it and go to sleep. 
The bed was, however, too big for the tailor, so 
he did not stay in it, but crept into a corner to 
sleep. As soon as it was midnight the giant got 
up, took a great staff of iron and hit the bed one 
stroke, and supposed he had made an end of that 
grasshopper of a tailor. Very early in the morn- 
ing the giants went into the wood and forgot all 
about the little tailor, and when they saw him 
coming after them alive and merry, they were 
terribly frightened, and, thinking he was going 
to kill them, they ran away in all haste. 

So the little tailor marched on, always follow- 
ing his nose. And after he had gone a great 
way he entered the courtyard belonging to a 
king’s palace, and there he felt so tired that he 
lay down and fell asleep. In the meanwhile 
came various people, who looked at him very 
curiously, and read on his belt, “ Seven at one 
blow! ” 


28 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


“ Oh! ” said they, “ why should this great lord 
come here in time of peace? What a mighty 
champion he must be.” 

Then they went and told the King about him, 
and they thought that if war should break out 
what a useful man he would be, and that he 
ought not to be allowed to go at any price. The 
King then summoned his council, and sent one of 
his courtiers to the little tailor to beg him, as soon 
as he should wake up, to consent to serve in the 
King’s army. The courtier stood and waited at 
the tailor’s side until the tailor began to stretch 
and to open his eyes, and then he carried his an- 
swer back. And the answer was: 

“ That was the reason for which I came,” said 
the little tailor. “ I am ready to enter the King’s 
service.” 

So he was received into it very honorably, and 
a separate dwelling set apart for him. 

But the rest of the soldiers were very much set 
against the little tailor, and they wished him a 
thousand miles away. 

“What shall be done about it?” they said 
among themselves; “if we pick a quarrel and 
fight with him then seven of us will fall at each 
blow. That will be of no use to us.” 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


29 


So they all went together to the King to ask 
for their discharge. 

“We never intended,” said they, “ to serve 
with a man who kills seven at a blow.” 

The King felt sorry to lose all his faithful 
servants because of one man, and he wished that 
he had never seen him, and would willingly get 
rid of him if he might. But he did not dare to 
dismiss the little tailor for fear he should kill all 
the King’s people, and place himself upon the 
throne. He thought a long while about it, and 
at last made up his mind what to do. He sent 
for the little tailor, and told him that as he was 
so great a warrior he had a proposal to make to 
him. He told him that in a wood in his country 
there dwelt two giants, who did great damage by 
robbery, murder, and fire, and that no man dared 
to go near them for fear of his life. If the tailor 
would slay both these giants the King would give 
him his only daughter in marriage, and half his 
kingdom, and a hundred horsemen should go 
with him to give him assistance. 

“ That would be something for a man like 
me!” thought the little tailor, “a beautiful 
princess and half a kingdom are not to be had 
every day,” and he said to the King: 


30 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


“ Oh, yes, I can soon overcome the giants, and 
yet have no need of the hundred horsemen; he 
who can kill seven at one blow has no need to be 
afraid of two.” 

So the little tailor set out, and the hundred 
horsemen followed him. When he came to the 
border of the wood he said to the horsemen: 

“ Stay here while I go to attack the giants.” 

Then he sprang into the wood, and looked 
about him right and left. After a while he 
caught sight of the two giants; they were lying 
down under a tree asleep, and snoring so that all 
the branches shook. The little tailor, very alert, 
filled both his pockets with stones and climbed up 
into the tree, and made his way to an overhang- 
ing bough, so that he could seat himself just 
above the sleepers; and from there he let one 
stone after another fall on the chest of one of the 
giants. For a long time the giant did not notice 
this, but at last he waked up and pushed his com- 
rade, and said: 

“ What are you hitting me for? ” 

“ You are dreaming,” said the other, “ I am 
not touching you.” And they composed them- 
selves again to sleep, and the tailor dropped a 
stone on the other giant. 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


31 


“ What can that be? ” cried the second giant. 
“ What are you throwing at me? ” 

“ I am throwing nothing at you,” answered 
the first giant, grumbling. 

They disputed about it for a while, but as they 
were tired, they gave it up at last, and their eyes 
closed once more. Then the little tailor began 
his game anew, picked out a heavier stone and 
threw it down with force upon the first giant’s 
chest. 

“ This is too much! ” cried he, and sprang up 
like a madman and struck his companion such a 
blow that the tree shook above them. The other 
struck back, and they fought with such fury that 
they tore up trees by their roots to use for 
weapons against each other, so that at last they 
both of them lay dead upon the ground. Then 
the little tailor got down. 

“Another piece of luck! ” said he, — “ that the 
tree I was sitting in did not get torn up too, or 
else I should have had to jump like a squirrel 
from one tree to another.” 

Then he drew his sword and gave each of the 
giants a few hacks in the breast, and went back 
to the horsemen and said : 

“ The deed is done. I have made an end of both 


32 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


of them: but it went hard with me; in the strug- 
gle they rooted up trees to defend themselves, 
but it was of no use; they had to do with a man 
who can kill seven at one blow.” 

“ Then are you not wounded? ” asked the 
horsemen. 

“Nothing of the sort!” answered the tailor. 
“ I have not turned a hair.” 

The horsemen still would not believe it, and 
rode into the wood to see, and there they found 
the giants, and all about them were the uprooted 
trees. 

The little tailor then claimed the promised re- 
wards, but the King repented his offer, and tried 
again to rid himself of the hero. 

“ Before you can have my daughter and the 
half of my kingdom,” said he to the tailor, “ you 
must perform another heroic act. In the wood 
lives a unicorn who does great damage ; you must 
capture him.” 

“A unicorn does not strike more terror into me 
than two giants. Seven at one blow! — that is 
my way,” was the tailor’s answer. 

So, taking a rope and an ax with him, he went 
out into the wood, and told those who were or- 
dered to go with him to wait outside. He had 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 33 

not far to seek; the unicorn soon came out and 
sprang at him, as if he would make an end of him 
without delay. “ Softly, softly,” said the tailor, 
“ most haste, worst speed,” and remained stand- 
ing until the animal came quite near, then he 
slipped quietly behind a tree. The unicorn ran 
with all his might against the tree and stuck his 
horn so deep into the trunk that he could not get 
it out again. 

“ Now I have you,” said the tailor, coming out 
from behind the tree, and, putting the rope round 
the unicorn’s neck, he took the ax, freed the 
horn, and then with all his party led the animal to 
the King. 

The King did not yet wish to give him the 
promised rewards, and set him a third task to do. 
Before the wedding could take place the tailor 
was to secure a wild boar which had done a great 
deal of damage in the wood. 

The huntsmen were to accompany him. 

“All right,” said the tailor, “ this is child’s 
play.” 

But he did not take the huntsmen into the 
wood, and they were all the better pleased, for 
the wild boar had many a time before received 
them in such a way that they had no desire to dis- 


34 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


turb him. When the boar caught sight of the 
tailor he ran at him with foaming mouth and 
gleaming tusks to bear him to the ground, but 
the nimble hero rushed into a chapel which 
chanced to be near, and jumped quickly out of a 
window on the other side. The boar ran after 
him, and when he got inside the tailor shut the 
door after him, and there the boar was impris- 
oned, for he was too big and unwieldy to jump 
out of the window too. Then the little tailor 
called the huntsmen that they might see the pris- 
oner with their own eyes; and then he took him 
to the King, who now, whether he liked it or not, 
was obliged to fulfill his promise, and give him 
his daughter and the half of his kingdom. But 
if he had known that the great warrior was only 
a little tailor he would have taken it still more to 
heart. So the wedding was celebrated with great 
splendor and little joy, and the tailor was made 
into a king. 

One night the young queen heard her husband 
talking in his sleep and saying: 

“ Now, boy, make me that waistcoat and patch 
me those breeches, or I will lay my yard-measure 
about your shoulders ! ” 

And so, as she perceived of what low birth her 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 35 

husband was, she went to her father the next 
morning and told him all, and begged him to set 
her free from a man who was nothing better than 
a tailor. The Iving bade her be comforted, say- 
ing: 

“ To-night leave your bedroom door open; my 
guard shall stand outside, and when he is asleep 
they shall come in and bind him and carry him off 
to a ship, and he shall be sent to the other side of 
the world.” 

So the wife felt consoled, but the King’s 
water-bearer, who had been listening all the 
while, went to the little tailor and told him the 
whole plan. 

“ I shall put a stop to all this,” said he. 

At night he lay down as usual in bed, and 
when his wife thought that he was asleep, she 
got up, opened the door and lay down again. 
The little tailor, who only made believe to be 
asleep, began to murmur plainly. 

“ Now, boy, make me that waistcoat and patch 
me those breeches, or I will lay my yard-measure 
about your shoulders ! I have slain seven at one 
blow, killed two giants, caught a unicorn, and 
taken a wild boar, and shall I be afraid of those 
who are standing outside my room door? ” 


36 


THE GALLANT TAILOR 


And when they heard the tailor say this, a 
great fear seized them ; they fled away as if they 
had been wild hares, and none of them would 
venture to attack him. 

And so the little tailor all his lifetime remained 
a king. 


THE TWELVE DANCING 
PRINCESSES 

nPHERE was once a king who had twelve 
daughters, each more beautiful than the 
other. They slept together in a hall where their 
beds stood close to one another; and at night, 
when they had gone to bed, the King locked the 
door and bolted it. But when he unlocked it in 
the morning, he noticed that their shoes had been 
danced to pieces, and nobody could explain how 
it happened. So the King sent out a proclama- 
tion saying that any one who could discover 
where the princesses did their night’s dancing 
should choose one of them to be his wife and 
should reign after his death; but whoever pre- 
sented himself, and failed to make the discovery 
after three days and nights, was to forfeit his 
life. 

A prince soon presented himself and offered to 
take the risk. He was well received, and at night 
was taken into a room adjoining the hall where 
the princesses slept. His bed was made up there, 
and he was to watch and see where they went to 
dance; so that they could not do anything, or go 


38 THE DANCING PRINCESSES 

anywhere else, the door of his room was left open 
too. But the eyes of the King’s son grew heavy, 
and he fell asleep. When he woke up in the 
morning all the twelve had been dancing, for the 
soles of their shoes were full of holes. The sec- 
ond and third evenings passed with the same re- 
sults, and then the Prince found no mercy, and 
his head was cut off. Many others came after 
him and offered to take the risk, but they all had 
to lose their lives. 

Now it happened that a poor soldier, who had 
been wounded and could no longer serve, found 
himself on the road to the town where the King 
lived. There he fell in with an old woman who 
asked him where he intended to go. 

“ I really don’t know,” he said; and added, in 
fun, “ I should like to discover where the King’s 
daughters dance their shoes into holes, and after 
that to become king.” 

“ That is not so difficult,” said the old woman. 
“ You must not drink the wine which will be 
brought to you in the evening, but must pretend 
to be fast asleep.” Whereupon she gave him a 
short cloak, saying: “ When you wear this you 
will be invisible, and then you can slip out after 
the twelve princesses.” 



.«UiO. 


I<Wtd Sbcntoo, 















































. 




























































THE DANCING PRINCESSES 39 

As soon as the soldier heard this good advice 
he took it seriously, plucked up courage, ap- 
peared before the King, and offered himself as 
a suitor. He was as well received as the others, 
and was dressed in royal garments. 

In the evening, when bedtime came, he was 
conducted to the ante-room. As he was about to 
go to bed the eldest princess appeared, bringing 
him a cup of wine; but he had fastened a sponge 
under his chin and let the wine run down into it, 
so that he did not drink one drop. Then he lay 
down, and when he had been quiet a little while 
he began to snore as though in the deepest sleep. 

The twelve princesses heard him and laughed. 
The eldest said: “He, too, must forfeit his 
life.” 

Then they got up, opened cupboards, chests, 
and cases, and brought out their beautiful 
dresses. They decked themselves before the 
glass, skipping about gaily at the prospect of the 
dance. Only the youngest sister said: “ I don’t 
know what it is. You may rejoice, but I feel so 
strange; a misfortune is certainly hanging over 
us.” 

“ You are a little goose,” answered the eldest; 
“ you are always frightened. Have you forgot- 


40 THE DANCING PRINCESSES 


ten how many princes have come here in vain? 
Why, I need not have given the soldier a sleep- 
ing draught at all; the blockhead would never 
have awakened.” 

When they were all ready they looked at the 
soldier; but his eyes were shut and he did not 
stir. So they thought they would soon be quite 
safe. Then the eldest went up to one of the 
beds and knocked on it; it sank into the earth, 
and they descended through the opening, one 
after another, the eldest first. 

The soldier, who had noticed everything, did 
not hesitate long, but threw on his cloak and went 
down behind the youngest. Half-way down he 
trod on her dress. She was frightened, and said: 
“ What was that? who is holding on to my 
dress? ” 

“ Don’t be so foolish. You must have caught 
on a nail,” said the eldest. Then they went right 
down, and when they got quite underground, 
they stood in a marvelously beautiful avenue of 
trees ; all the leaves were silver, and glittered and 
shone. 

The soldier thought, “ I must take away some 
token with me.” And as he broke off a twig, a 
sharp crack came from the tree. 


THE DANCING PRINCESSES 41 

The youngest cried out, “All is not well; did 
you hear that sound? ” 

“ Those are triumphal salutes, because we 
shall soon have released our princess, ,, said the 
eldest. 

Next they came to an avenue where all the 
leaves were of gold, and at last into a third, 
where they were of shining diamonds. From 
both these he broke off a twig, and there was a 
crack each time which made the youngest prin- 
cess start with terror; but the eldest maintained 
that the sounds were only triumphal salutes. 
They went on faster, and came to a great lake. 
Close to the bank lay twelve little boats, and in 
every boat sat a handsome prince. They had ex- 
pected the twelve princesses, and each took one 
with him; but the soldier seated himself by the 
youngest. 

Then said the Prince, “ I don’t know why, but 
the boat is much heavier to-day, and I am obliged 
to row with all my strength to get it along.” 

“ I wonder why it is,” said the youngest, “ un- 
less, perhaps, it is the hot weather; it is strangely 
hot.” 

On the opposite side of the lake stood a splen- 
did brightly lighted castle, from which came the 


42 THE DANCING PRINCESSES 


sound of the joyous music of trumpets and 
drums. They rowed across, and every prince 
danced with his lady ; and the soldier danced too, 
unseen. If one of the princesses held a cup of 
wine he drank out of it, so that it was empty 
when she lifted it to her lips. This frightened 
the youngest one, but the eldest alwa} T s silenced 
her. They danced till three next morning, when 
their shoes were danced into holes, and they were 
obliged to stop. The princes took them back 
across the lake, and this time the soldier took his 
seat beside the eldest. On the bank they said 
farewell to their princes, and promised to come 
again the next night. When they got to the 
steps the soldier ran on ahead, lay down in bed, 
and when the twelve came lagging by, slowly 
and wearily, he began to snore again, very loud, 
so that they said, “We are quite safe as far as 
he is concerned.” Then they took off their beau- 
tiful dresses, put them away, placed the worn- 
out shoes under their beds, and lay down. 

The next morning the soldier determined to 
say nothing, but to see the wonderful doings 
again. So he went with them the second and 
third nights. Everything was just the same as 
the first time, and they danced each time till their 


THE DANCING PRINCESSES 43 


shoes were in holes ; but the third time the soldier 
took away a wine-cup as a token. 

When the appointed hour came for his answer, 
he took the three twigs and the cup with him and 
went before the King. The twelve princesses 
stood behind the door listening to hear what he 
would say. When the King put the question, 
“ Where did my daughters dance their shoes to 
pieces in the night? ” he answered: “ With twelve 
princes in an underground castle.” Then he 
produced the tokens. 

The King sent for his daughters and asked 
them whether the soldier had spoken the truth. 
As they saw that they had been found out, and 
would gain nothing by lies, they were obliged to 
admit all. Thereupon the King asked the sol- 
dier which one he would choose as his wife. He 
answered: “ I am no longer young, give me the 
eldest.” 

So the wedding was celebrated that very day, 
and the kingdom was promised to him on the 
King’s death. But for every night which the 
princes had spent in dancing with the princesses 
a day was added to their time of enchantment. 


KING THRUSHBEARD 


HERE was once a king who had a daugh 



ter. She was more beautiful than words 
can tell, but at the same time so proud and 
haughty that no man who came to woo her was 
good enough for her. She turned away one after 
another, and even mocked them. 

One day her father ordered a great feast to be 
given, and invited to it all the marriageable 
young men from far and near. 

They were all placed in a row, according to 
their rank and position. First came kings, then 
princes, then dukes, earls, and barons. 

The Princess was led through the ranks, but 
she had some fault to find with all of them. 

One was too stout. “ That barrel ! ” she said. 
The next was too tall. “ Long and lean is no 
good ! ” The third was too short. “ Short and 
stout, can’t turn about!” The fourth was too 
white. “ Pale as death ! ” The fifth was too red. 
“Turkey-cock!” The sixth was not straight. 
“ Oven-dried! ” 



She Thought With a Heavy Heart of Her Sad Fate 












































. 









* 
































































































' 





















KING THRUSHBEARD 45 

So there was something against each of them. 
But she made specially merry over one good 
king, who stood quite at the head of the row, and 
whose chin was a little hooked. 

“Why!” she cried, “he has a chin like the 
beak of a thrush.” 

After that, he was always called “ King 
Thrushbeard.” 

When the old king saw that his daughter only 
made fun of them, and despised all the suitors, 
he was very angry, and swore that the first beg- 
gar who came to the door should be her husband. 

A few days after, a wandering musician began 
to sing at the window, hoping to receive charity. 

When the King heard him, he said: “ Let him 
be brought in.” 

The musician came in, dressed in dirty rags, 
and sang to the King and his daughter, and when 
he had finished, he begged alms of them. 

The King said: “Your song has pleased me 
so much, that I will give you my daughter for 
wife.” 

The Princess was horror-stricken. But the 
King said: “ I have sworn an oath to give you to 
the first beggar who came; and I will keep my 
word.” 


46 KING THRUSHBEARD 

No entreaties were of any avail. A parson 
was brought, and she had to marry the musician 
there and then. 

When the marriage was completed, the King 
said: “ Now you are a beggar-woman, you can’t 
stay in my castle any longer. You must go 
away with your husband.” 

The beggar took her by the hand and led her 
away, and she was obliged to go with him on 
foot. 

When they came to a big wood, she asked: 

44 Ah! who is the lord of this forest so fine?” 

44 It belongs to King Thrushbeard. It might have 
been thine, 

If his queen you had been.” 

44 Ah ! sad must I sing ! 

I would I’d accepted the love of the King.” 

After that they reached a great meadow, and 
she asked again: 

44 Ah ! who is the lord of these meadows so fine P ” 

44 They belong to King Thrushbeard, and would 
have been thine, 

If his queen you had been.” 

44 Ah ! sad must I sing ! 

I would I’d accepted the hand of the King.” 


KING THRUSHBEARD 47 

Then they passed through a large town, and 
again she asked: 

“ Ah! who is the lord of this city so fine? ” 

“ It belongs to King Thrushbeard, and it might 
have been thine, 

If his queen you had been.” 

“ Ah ! sad must I sing ! 

I would I’d accepted the heart of the King.” 

“It doesn’t please me at all,” said the musician, 
“ that you are always wishing for another hus- 
band. Am I not good enough for you? ” 

At last they came to a miserable little cabin, 
and she said: 

“ Ah, heavens ! what’s this house, so mean and small? 
This wretched little hut’s no house at all.” 

The musician answered: “ This is my house, 
and yours, where we are to live together.” 

The door was so low that she had to stoop to 
get in. 

“Where are the servants?” asked the Prin- 
cess. 

“Servants indeed!” answered the beggar. 
“ Whatever you want done, you must do for 
yourself. Light the fire, and put the kettle on 
to make my supper. I am very tired.” 


48 


KING THRUSHBEARD 


But the Princess knew nothing about lighting 
fires or cooking, and to get it done at all, the 
beggar had to do it himself. 

When they had finished their humble fare, 
they went to bed. But in the morning the man 
made her get up very early to do the house- 
work. 

They lived like this for a few days, till they 
had eaten all their store of food. 

Then the man said: “ Wife, this won’t do any 
longer; you can’t live here without working. 
You shall make baskets.” 

So he went out and cut some willow twigs, 
and brought them home. She began to weave 
them, but the hard twigs bruised her tender 
hands. 

“ I see that won’t do,” said the beggar. “ You 
had better spin; perhaps you can manage that.” 

So she sat down and tried to spin, but the 
harsh yarn soon cut her delicate fingers and made 
them bleed. 

“ Now you see,” said the man, “ what a good- 
for-nothing you are. I have made a bad bargain 
in you. But I will try to start a trade in earthen- 
ware. You must sit in the market and offer your 
goods for sale.” 


KING THRUSHBEARD 


49 


“ Alas ! ” she thought, “ if any of the people 
from my father’s kingdom come and see me sit- 
ting in the market-place, offering goods for sale, 
they will scoff at me.” But it was no good. She 
had to obey, unless she meant to die of hunger. 

All went well the first time. The people will- 
ingly bought her wares because she was so hand- 
some, and they paid what she asked them — some 
even gave her the money and left her the pots as 
well. 

They lived on the gains as long as they lasted, 
and then the man laid in a new stock of wares. 

She took her seat in a corner of the market, set 
out her crockery about her, and began to cry her 
wares. 

Suddenly, a drunken soldier came galloping 
up, and rode right in among the pots, breaking 
them into thousands of bits. 

She began to cry, and was so frightened that 
she did not know what to do. “ Oh! what will 
become of me? ” she cried. “ What will my hus- 
band say to me? ” She ran home, and told him 
her misfortune. 

“ Who would ever think of sitting at the cor- 
ner of the market with crockery? ” he said. 
“ Stop that crying. I see you are no manner of 


50 


KING THRU SHBE ARD 


use for any decent kind of work. I have been to 
our king’s palace, and asked if they do not want 
a kitchen maid, and they have promised to try 
you. You will get your food free, at any 
rate.” 

So the Princess became a kitchen maid, and 
had to wait upon the cook and do all the dirty 
work. She took home her share of the scraj>s 
and leavings, and upon these they lived. 

It so happened that the marriage of the eldest 
princess just then took place, and the poor girl 
went up-stairs and stood behind the curtains to 
peep at all the splendor. 

When the rooms were lighted up, and she saw 
the guests streaming in, one more beautiful than 
the other, and the scene grew more and more 
brilliant, she thought, with a heavy heart, of her 
sad fate. She cursed the pride that had brought 
her to such depths. 

Every now and then the servants would throw 
her bits from the savory dishes they were carry- 
ing away from the feast, and these she put into 
her pockets to take home with her. 

All at once the King’s son came in. He was 
dressed in silk and velvet, and he had a golden 
chain round his neck. 


51 


KING THRUSHBEARD 

When he saw the beautiful girl standing at the 
door, he seized her by the hand, and wanted to 
dance with her. 

But she refused, because she saw that it was 
King Thrushbeard, who had been one of the suit- 
ors for her hand, and whom she had most scorn- 
fully driven away. 

Her resistance was no use, and he dragged her 
into the hall. Then the bits of food she had put 
in her pockets spilled out all over the floor. 

When the guests saw it, they burst into shouts 
of mocking laughter. 

She was so ashamed, that she would gladly 
have sunk into the earth. She rushed to the door, 
and tried to escape, but on the stairs a man 
stopped her and brought her back. 

When she looked at him, it was no other than 
King Thrushbeard again. 

He spoke kindly to her, and said: “ Do not be 
afraid. I and the beggar-man, who lived in the 
poor little hovel with you, are one and the same. 
For love of you I disguised myself; and I was 
also the soldier who rode among your pots. All 
this I did to bend your proud spirit, and to 
punish you for the haughtiness with which you 
mocked me.” 


52 


KING THRUSHBEARD 


She wept bitterly, and said: “I was very 
wicked, and I am not worthy to be your wife.” 

But he said: “ Be happy! Those evil days are 
over. Now we will celebrate our true wedding.” 

The waiting-women came and put rich cloth- 
ing upon her, and her father, with all his court, 
came and wished her joy on her marriage with 
King Thrushbeard. 


TOM THUMB 



POOR peasant sat one evening by his 


hearth and poked the fire, while his wife 
sat opposite spinning. He said: “What a sad 
thing it is that we have no children; our home is 
so quiet, while other folk’s houses are noisy and 
cheerful.” 

“Yes,” answered his wife, and she sighed; 
“ even if it were an only one, and if it were no 
bigger than my thumb, I should be quite content; 
we would love it with all our hearts.” 

Now, some time after this, she had a little boy 
who was strong and healthy, but was no bigger 
than a thumb. Then they said: “ Well, our wish 
is fulfilled, and, small as he is, we will love him 
dearly ” ; and because of his tiny stature they 
called him Tom Thumb. They let him want for 
nothing, yet still the child grew no bigger, but 
remained the same size as when he was born. 
Still, he looked out on the world with intelligent 
eyes, and soon showed himself a clever creature, 
who was lucky in all he attempted. 

One day, when the peasant was preparing to 


54 


TOM THUMB 


go into the forest to cut wood, he said to him- 
self: “ I wish I had some one to bring the cart 
after me.” 

“ Oh, father! ” said Tom Thumb, “ I will soon 
bring it. You leave it to me; it shall be there 
when you want it.” 

Then the peasant laughed, and said: “ How 
can that be? You are much too small even to 
hold the reins.” 

“ That doesn’t matter, if only mother will har- 
ness the horse,” answered Tom. “ I will sit in 
his ear and tell him where to go.” 

“ Very well,” said the father; “ we will try it 
for once.” 

When the time came, the mother harnessed the 
horse, set Tom in his ear, and then the little crea- 
ture called out “ Gee-up ” and “ Whoa ” in turn, 
and directed it where to go. It went quite well, 
just as though it were being driven by its mas- 
ter; and they went the right way to the wood. 
Now it happened that while the cart was turning 
a corner, and Tom was calling to the horse, two 
strange men appeared on the scene. 

“ My goodness,” said one, “ what is this? 
There goes a cart, and a driver is calling to the 
horse, but there is nothing to be seen.” 


TOM THUMB 


55 


“ There is something queer about this,” said 
the other; “ we will follow the cart and see where 
it stops.” 

The cart went on deep into the forest, and 
arrived quite safely at the place where the wood 
was cut. 

When Tom spied his father, he said: “You 
see, father, here I am with the cart; now lift me 
down.” The father held the horse with his left 
hand, and took his little son out of its ear with 
the right. Then Tom sat down quite happily on 
a straw. 

When the two strangers noticed him, they did 
not know what to say for astonishment. 

Then one drew the other aside, and said: 
“ Listen, that little creature might make our for- 
tune if we were to show him in the town for 
money. We will buy him.” 

So they went up to the peasant, and said: 
“ Sell us the little man; he shall be well looked 
after with us.” 

“ No,” said the peasant; “ he is the delight of 
my eyes, and I will not sell him for all the gold 
in the world.” 

But Tom Thumb, when he heard the bargain, 
crept up by the folds of his father’s coat, placed 


56 


TOM THUMB 


himself on his shoulder, and whispered in his ear: 
“Father, let me go; I will soon come back 
again.” 

Then his father gave him to the two men for 
a fine piece of gold. 

“ Where will you sit? ” they asked him. 

“ Oh, put me on the brim of your hat, then I 
can walk up and down and see the neighborhood 
without falling down.” 

They did as he wished, and when Tom had said 
good-by to his father, they went away with 
him. 

They walked on till it was twilight, when the 
little man said: “ You must lift me down.” 

“ Stay where you are,” answered the man on 
whose head he sat. 

“No,” said Tom; “I will come down. Lift 
me down immediately.” 

The man took off his hat and set the little 
creature in a field by the wayside. He jumped 
and crept about for a time, here and there among 
the sods, then slipped suddenly into a mouse-hole 
which he had discovered. 

“ Good evening, gentlemen, just you go 
home without me,” he called out to them in 
mockery. 


TOM THUMB 


57 


They ran about and poked with sticks into the 
mouse-hole, but all in vain. Tom crept further 
and further back, and, as it soon got quite dark, 
they were forced to go home, full of anger, and 
with empty purses. 

When Tom noticed that they were gone, he 
crept out of his underground hiding-place again. 
“It is dangerous walking in this field in the 
dark,” he said. “ One might easily break one’s 
leg or one’s neck.” Luckily, he came to an 
empty snail shell. “ Thank goodness,” he said; 
“ I can pass the night in safety here,” and he sat 
down. 

Not long after, just when he was about to go 
to sleep, he heard two men pass by. One said: 
“ How shall we set about stealing the rich par- 
son’s gold and silver? ” 

“ I can tell you,” interrupted Tom. 

“ What was that? ” said one robber in a fright. 
“ I heard some one speak.” 

They remained standing and listened. 

Then Tom spoke again: “ Take me with you 
and I will help you.” 

“ Where are you? ” they asked. 

“ Just look on the ground and see where the 
voice comes from,” he answered. 


58 


TOM THUMB 


At last the thieves found him, and lifted him 
up. “ You little urchin, are you going to help 
us?” 

“ Yes,” he said; “ I will creep between the iron 
bars in the parson’s room, and will hand out to 
you what you want.” 

“ All right,” they said, “ we will see what you 
can do.” 

When they came to the parsonage, Tom crept 
into the room, but called out immediately with 
all his strength to the others: “Do you want 
everything that is here? ” 

The thieves were frightened, and said: “Do 
speak softly, and don’t wake any one.” 

But Tom pretended not to understand, and 
called out again: “ What do you want? Every- 
thing? ” 

The cook, who slept above, heard him and sat 
up in bed and listened. But the thieves were so 
frightened that they retreated a little way. At 
last they summoned up courage again, and 
thought to themselves, “ The little rogue wants to 
tease us.” So they came back and whispered to 
him: “ Now, do be serious, and hand us out some- 
thing.” 

Then Tom called out again, as loud as he' 


TOM THUMB 


59 


could, “ I will give you everything if only you 
will hold out your hands.” 

The maid, who was listening intently, heard 
him quite distinctly, jumped out of bed, and 
stumbled to the door. The thieves turned and 
fled, running as though wild huntsmen were after 
them. But the maid, seeing nothing, went to get 
a light. When she came back with it, Tom, with- 
out being seen, slipped out into the barn, and the 
maid, after she had searched every corner and 
found nothing, went to bed again, thinking she 
had been dreaming with her eyes and ears open. 

Tom Thumb climbed about in the hay, and 
found a splendid place to sleep. There he de- 
termined to rest till day came, and then to go 
home to his parents. 

The maid got up in the gray dawn to feed the 
cows. First she went into the barn, where she 
piled up an armful of hay, the very bundle in 
which poor Tom was asleep. But he slept so 
soundly that he knew nothing till he was almost 
in the mouth of the cow, who was eating him up 
with the hay. 

“ Heavens! ” he said, “ however did I get into 
this mill ? ” but he soon saw where he was, and the 
great thing was to avoid being crushed between 


60 


TOM THUMB 

the cow’s teeth. At last, whether hie liked it or 
not, he had to go down the cow’s throat. 

“ The windows have been forgotten in this 
house,” he said. “ The sun does not shine into it, 
and no light has been provided.” 

Altogether he was very ill-pleased with his 
quarters, and, worst of all, more and more hay 
came in at the door, and the space grew nar- 
rower and narrower. At last he called out, in his 
fear, as loud as he could, “ Don’t give me any 
more food. Don’t give me any more food.” 

The maid was just milking the cow, and when 
she heard the same voice as in the night, without 
seeing any one, she was frightened, and slipped 
from her stool and spilt the milk. Then, in the 
greatest haste, she ran to her master, and said: 
“ Oh, your reverence, the cow has spoken! ” 

“You are mad,” he answered; but he went into 
the stable himself to see what was happening. 

Scarcely had he set foot in the cow-shed be- 
fore Tom began again, “ Don’t bring me any 
more food.” 

Then the parson was terrified too, and thought 
that the cow must be bewitched; so he ordered 
it to be killed. It was accordingly slaughtered, 
but the stomach, in which Tom was hidden, was 


TOM THUMB 


61 


thrown aside. Tom had the greatest trouble in 
working his way out. Just as he stuck out his 
head, a hungry wolf ran by and snapped up the 
whole stomach with one bite. But still Tom did 
not lose courage. “ Perhaps the wolf will listen 
to reason,” he said. So he called out, “ Dear 
wolf, I know where you can find a fine meal.” 

“ Where is it to be had? ” asked the wolf. 

“ Why, in such and such a house,” answered 
Tom. “ You must squeeze through the grating 
of the storeroom window, and there you will 
find cakes, bacon, and sausages, as many as you 
can possibly eat ”; and he went on to describe his 
father’s house. 

The wolf did not wait to hear this twice, and 
at night forced himself in through the grating, 
and ate to his heart’s content. When he was 
satisfied, he wanted to go away again ; but he had 
grown so fat that he could not get out the same 
way. Tom had reckoned on this, and began to 
make a great commotion inside the wolf’s body, 
struggling and screaming with all his might. 

“ Be quiet,” said the wolf; “ you will wake up 
the people of the house.” 

“ All very fine,” answered Tom. “ You have 
eaten your fill, and now I am going to make 


62 TOM THUMB 

merry ” ; and he began to scream again with all 
his might. 

At last his father and mother woke up, ran to 
the room, and looked through the crack of the 
door. When they saw a wolf, they went away, 
and the husband fetched his ax, and the wife a 
scythe. 

“ You stay behind,” said the man, as they came 
into the room. “ If my blow does not kill him, 
you must attack him and rip up his body.” 

When Tom Thumb heard his father’s voice, 
he called out: “ Dear father, I am here, inside 
the wolf’s body.” 

Full of joy, his father cried, “ Heaven be 
praised! Our dear child is found again,” and he 
bade his wife throw aside the scythe that it might 
not injure Tom. 

Then he gathered himself together, and struck 
the wolf a blow on the head, so that it fell down 
lifeless. Then with knives and shears they 
ripped up the body, and took their little boy out. 

“ Ah,” said his father, “ what trouble we have 
been in about you.” 

“ Yes, father, I have traveled about the world, 
and I am thankful to breathe fresh air again.” 

“ Wherever have you been? ” they asked. 


TOM THUMB 


63 


“ Down a mouse-hole, in a cow’s stomach, and 
inside a wolf,” he answered; “and now I shall 
stay with you.” 

“ And we will never sell you again, for all the 
riches in the world,” they said, kissing and fond- 
ling their dear child. 

Then they gave him food and drink, and had 
new clothes made for him, as his own had been 
spoilt in his travels. 


RAPUNZEL 


HERE was once a man and his wife who 



had long wished in vain for a child, when 
at last they had reason to hope that Heaven 
would grant their wish. There was a little win- 
dow at the back of their house, which overlooked 
a beautiful garden, full of lovely flowers and 
shrubs. It was, however, surrounded by a high 
wall, and nobody dared to enter it, because it be- 
longed to a powerful witch, who was feared by 
everybody. 

One day the woman, standing at this window 
and looking into the garden, saw a bed planted 
with beautiful rampion. It looked so fresh 
and green that she longed to eat some of it. This 
longing increased every day, and as she knew it 
could never be satisfied, she began to look pale 
and miserable, and to pine away. Then her hus- 
band was alarmed, and said: “ What ails you, 
my dear wife? ” 

“ Alas! ” she answered, “ if I cannot get any 
of the rampion from the garden behind our 
house to eat, I shall die.” 





RAPUNZEL 


65 


Her husband, who loved her, thought, “ Be- 
fore you let your wife die, you must fetch her 
some of that rampion, cost what it may.” So in 
the twilight he climbed over the wall into the 
witch's garden, hastily picked a handful of ram- 
pion, and took it back to his wife. She imme- 
diately dressed it and ate it up very eagerly. It 
was so very, very nice, that the next day her 
longing for it increased threefold. She could 
have no peace unless her husband fetched her 
some more. So in the twilight he set out again ; 
but when he got over the wall he was terrified to 
see the witch before him. 

“ How dare you come into my garden like a 
thief, and steal my rampion? ” she said, with 
angry looks. “ It shall be the worse for you! ” 

“ Alas! ” he answered, “ be merciful to me; I 
am only here from necessity. My wife sees your 
rampion from the window, and she has such a 
longing for it, that she would die if she could not 
get some of it.” 

The anger of the witch abated, and she said to 
him, “ If it is as you say, I will allow you to 
take away with you as much rampion as you 
like, but on one condition. You must give me 
the child which your wife is about to bring into 


66 


RAPUNZEL 


the world. I will care for it like a mother, and 
all will be well with it.” In his fear the man 
consented to everything, and when the baby was 
born, the witch appeared, gave it the name of 
Rapunzel, which is another name for rampion, 
and took it away with her. 

Rapunzel was the most beautiful child under 
the sun. When she was twelve years old, the 
witch shut her up in a tower which stood in a 
wood. It had neither staircase nor doors, and 
only a little window quite high up in the wall. 
When the witch wanted to enter the tower, she 
stood at the foot of it, and cried: 

“ Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” 

Rapunzel had splendid long hair, as fine as 
spun gold. As soon as she heard the voice of the 
witch, she unfastened her plaits and twisted them 
round a hook by the window. They fell twenty 
feet downwards, and the witch climbed up by 
them. 

It happened a couple of years later that the 
King’s son rode through the forest, and came 
close to the tower. From thence he heard a song 
so lovely, that he stopped to listen. It was Ra- 
punzel, who in her loneliness made her sweet 
voice resound to pass away the time. The King’s 


RAPUNZEL 


67 


son wanted to join her, and he sought for the 
door of the tower, but there was none to find. 

He rode home, but the song had touched his 
heart so deeply that he went into the forest every 
day to listen to it. Once, when he was hidden be- 
hind a tree, he saw a witch come to the tower and 
call out: 

“ Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” 

Then Rapunzel lowered her plaits of hair and 
the witch climbed up to her. 

“ If that is the ladder by which one ascends,” 
he thought, “ I will try my luck myself.” And 
the next day, when it began to grow dark, he 
went to the tower and cried: 

“ Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.” 

The hair fell down at once, and the King’s son 
climbed up by it. 

At first Rapunzel was terrified, for she had 
never set eyes on a man before, but the King’s 
son talked to her kindly, and told her that his 
heart had been so deeply touched by her song 
that he had no peace, and he was obliged to see 
her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he 
asked if she would have him for her husband, 
and she saw that he was young and handsome, 
she thought, “ He will love me better than old 


68 


RAPUNZEL 


Mother Gothel.” So she said, “ Yes,” and laid 
her hand in his. She said, “ I will gladly go with 
you, but I do not know how I am to get down 
from this tower. When you come, will you bring 
a skein of silk with you every time? I will twist 
it into a ladder, and when it is long enough I will 
descend by it, and you can take me away with 
you on your horse.” 

She arranged with him that he should come 
and see her every evening, for the old witch came 
in the daytime. 

The witch discovered nothing, till suddenly 
Rapunzel said to her, “ Tell me, Mother Gothel, 
how can it be that you are so much heavier to 
draw up than the young prince who will be here 
before long? ” 

“ Oh, you wicked child, what do you say? I 
thought I had separated you from all the world, 
and yet you have deceived me.” In her rage she 
seized Rapunzel’ s beautiful hair, twisted it twice 
round her left hand, snatched up a pair of shears 
and cut off the plaits, which fell to the ground. 
She was so merciless that she took poor Rapunzel 
away into a wilderness, where she forced her to 
live in the greatest grief and misery. 

In the evening of the day on which she had 


69 


RAPUNZEL 

banished Rapunzel, the witch fastened the plaits 
which she had cut off to the hook by the window, 
and when the Prince came and called: 

“ Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair,” 
she lowered the hair. The Prince climbed up, 
but there he found, not his beloved Rapunzel, but 
the witch, who looked at him with angry and 
wicked eyes. 

“ Ah! ” she cried mockingly, “ you have come 
to fetch your lady-love, but the pretty bird is no 
longer in her nest; and she can sing no more, for 
the cat has seized her, and it will scratch your 
own eyes out too. Rapunzel is lost to you; you 
will never see her again.” 

The Prince was beside himself with grief, and 
in his despair he sprang out of the window. He 
was not killed, but his eyes were scratched out 
by the thorns among which he fell. He wan- 
dered about blind in the wood, and had nothing 
but roots and berries to eat. He did nothing but 
weep and lament over the loss of his beloved 
Rapunzel. In this way he wandered about for 
some years, till at last he reached the wilderness 
where Rapunzel had been living in great poverty. 

He heard a voice which seemed very familiar 
to him, and he went towards it. Rapunzel knew 


70 


RAPUNZEL 


him at once, and fell weeping upon his neck. 
Two of her tears fell upon his eyes, and they 
immediately grew quite clear, and he could see 
as well as ever. 

He took her to his kingdom, where he was re- 
ceived with joy, and they lived long and happily 
together. 


THE RAYEN 


HT^HERE was once a queen who had a little 
•*- daughter still in arms. 

One day the child was naughty, and would not 
be quiet, whatever her mother might say. 

So she grew impatient, and as the ravens were 
flying round the castle, she opened the window, 
and said: “ I wish you were a raven, that you 
might fly away, and then I should have peace.” 

She had hardly said the words, when the child 
was changed into a raven, and flew out of the 
window. 

She flew straight into a dark wood, and her 
parents did not know what had become of her. 

One day a man was passing through this wood 
and heard the raven calling. 

When he was near enough, the raven said: “ I 
am a princess by birth, and I am bewitched, but 
you can deliver me from the spell.” 

“ What must I do? ” asked he. 

“ Go further into the wood,” she said, “ and 
you will come to a house with an old woman in 
it, who will offer you food and drink. But you 
must not take any. If you eat or drink what she 


72 THE RAVEN 

offers you, you will fall into a deep sleep, and 
then you will never be able to deliver me. There 
is a great heap of tan in the garden behind the 
house; you must stand on it and wait for me. I 
will come for three days in a coach drawn by 
four horses which, on the first day, will be white, 
on the second, chestnut, and on the last, black. 
If you are not awake, I shall not be delivered.” 

The man promised to do everything that she 
asked. 

But the raven said: “ Alas! I know that you 
will not deliver me. You will take what the 
woman offers you, and I shall never be freed 
from the spell.” 

He promised once more not to touch either the 
food or the drink. But when he reached the 
house, the old woman said to him: “ Poor man! 
How tired you are. Come and refresh yourself. 
Eat and drink.” 

“ No,” said the man; “ I will neither eat nor 
drink.” 

But she persisted, and said: “Well, if you 
won’t eat, take a sip out of the glass. One sip 
is nothing.” 

Then he yielded, and took a little sip. 

About two o’clock he went down into the gar- 




THE RAVEN 


73 


den, and stood on the tan-heap to wait for the 
raven. All at once he became so tired that he 
could not keep on his feet, and lay down for a 
moment, not meaning to go to sleep. But he 
had hardly stretched himself out, before his eye- 
lids closed, and he fell fast asleep. He slept so 
soundly that nothing in the world could have 
awakened him. 

At two o’clock the raven came, drawn by her 
four white horses. But she was already very 
sad, for she said: “ I know he is asleep.” 

She alighted from the carriage, went to him, 
shook him, and called him, but he did not wake. 

Next day at . dinner-time the old woman came 
again, and brought him food and drink; but 
again he refused to touch them. But she left 
him no peace, till at last she induced him to take 
a sip from the glass. 

Towards two o’clock he again went into the 
garden, and stood on the tan-heap, meaning to 
wait for the raven. But he suddenly became so 
tired, that he sank down and fell into a deep 
sleep. 

When the raven drove up with her chestnut 
horses, she was very mournful, and said: “ I 
know he is asleep.” 


74 


THE RAVEN 


She went to him, but he was fast asleep, and 
she could not wake him. 

Next day the old woman said: “ What is the 
meaning of this? If you don’t eat or drink you 
will die.” 

He said: “ I must not, and I will not either 
eat or drink.” 

She put the dish of food and the glass of wine 
before him, and when the scent of the wine 
reached him, he could withstand it no longer, and 
took a good drink. 

When the time came he went into the garden 
and stood on the tan-heap and waited for the 
raven. But he was more tired than ever, lay 
down and slept like a log. 

At two o’clock the raven came, drawn by four 
black horses; the coach and everything about it 
was black. She herself was in the deepest 
mourning, and said: “Alas! I know he is 
asleep.” 

She shook him, and called him, but she could 
not wake him. 

Finding her efforts in vain, she placed a loaf 
beside him, a piece of meat, and a bottle of wine. 
Then she took a golden ring on which her name 
was engraved, and put it on his finger. Lastly, 


75 


THE RAVEN 

she laid a letter by him, saying that the bread, 
the meat, and the wine were inexhaustible. She 
also said: 

“ I see that you cannot deliver me here, but if 
you still wish to do so, come to the Golden Castle 
of Stromberg. I know that it is still in your 
power.” 

Then she seated herself in her coach again, and 
drove to the Golden Castle of Stromberg. 

When the man woke and found that he had 
been asleep, his heart grew heavy, and he said: 
“ She certainly must have passed, and I have 
not delivered her.” 

Then his eyes fell on the things lying by him, 
and he read the letter which told him all that had 
occurred. 

So he got up and went away to find the Golden 
Castle of Stromberg, but he had no idea where 
to find it. 

When he had wandered about for a long time 
he came to a dark wood whence he could not find 
his way out. 

After walking about in it for a fortnight, he 
lay down one night under a bush to sleep, for he 
was very tired. But he heard such crying and 
howling that he could not go to sleep. 


76 


THE RAVEN 


Then he saw a light in the distance and went 
towards it. When he reached it, he found that 
it came from a house which looked very tiny be- 
cause a huge giant was standing at the door. 

He thought: “ If I go in and the giant sees 
me, I shan’t escape with my life.” 

But at last he ventured to go forward. 

When the giant saw him, he said: “ It’s a good 
thing you have appeared. I have had nothing to 
eat for an age. I will just swallow you for my 
supper.” 

“ You had better let me alone,” said the man. 
“ I shan’t let myself be swallowed in a hurry. 
If you only want something to eat, I have plenty 
here to satisfy you.” 

“ If you are speaking the truth,” said the 
giant, “ you may be quite easy. I was only go- 
ing to eat you because I had nothing else.” 

Then they went in and sat down at the table, 
and the man produced the bread, the meat, and 
the wine, which were inexhaustible. 

“ This just suits me,” said the giant. And he 
ate as much as ever he could. 

The man said to him: “ Can’t you tell me 
where to find the Golden Castle? ” 

The giant said: “ I will look at my map. 


THE RAVEN 77 

Every town, village, and house is marked upon 
it.” 

He fetched the map, hut the castle was not to 
be found. 

“ It doesn’t matter,” he said. “ I have a 
bigger map up-stairs in my chest; we will look 
for it there.” 

At last the Golden Castle was discovered, but 
it was many thousands of miles away. 

“ How am I ever to get there? ” asked the 
man. 

The giant said: “ I have a couple of hours to 
spare. I will carry you near it. But then I must 
come back to look after my wife and child.” 

Then the giant carried him to within a hun- 
dred miles of the castle, and said: “ You will be 
able to find your way from here alone.” Then 
he went back; and the man went on, till at last 
he came to the Golden Castle. 

It stood on a mountain of glass, and the be- 
witched maiden drove round and round it every 
day in her coach. 

He was delighted to see her again, and wanted 
to go to her at once. But when he tried to climb 
the mountain, he found it was so slippery that he 
slid back at every step. 


78 


THE RAVEN 


When he found he could not reach her, he said 
to himself: “ I will stay down here and wait for 
her.” 

So he built himself a little hut, and lived in it 
for a whole year. He could see the Princess 
above, driving round the castle every day, but he 
could never get to her. 

Then one day he saw three robbers fight- 
ing, and called out to them: “ God be with 
you!” 

They stopped at the sound of his voice, but, 
seeing nothing, they began to fight again. 

Then he cried again: “ God be with you! ” 

They stopped and looked about, but, seeing no 
one, went on fighting. 

Then he cried for the third time: “ God be 
with you ! ” 

Again they stopped and looked about, but, as 
there was no one visible, they fell to more sav- 
agely than ever. 

He said to himself: “ I must go and see what 
it is all about.” 

He went up and asked them why they were 
fighting. 

One of them said he had found a stick which 
made any door fly open which it touched. 


THE RAVEN 79 

The second said he had found a cloak which 
made him invisible when he wore it. 

The third said he had caught a horse which 
could go anywhere, even up the mountain of 
glass. 

They could not decide whether these things 
should be common property or whether they 
should divide them. 

Then said the man: “ I will exchange them 
with you if you like. I have no money, but I 
have something more valuable. First, however, 
I must test your things to see if you are speak- 
ing the truth.” 

They let him get onto the horse, put on the 
cloak, and take the stick in his hand. When he 
had got them all, he was nowhere to be seen. 

Then he gave them each a sound drubbing, and 
said: “ There, you have your deserts, you bears. 
You may be satisfied with that.” 

Then he rode up the glass mountain, and when 
he reached the castle he found the gate was 
shut. He touched it with his stick and it flew 
open. 

He went in and straight up the stairs into the 
gallery where the maiden sat with a golden cup 
of wine before her. 


80 THE RAVEN 

But she could not see him because he had the 
cloak on. 

He took the ring she had given him, and 
dropped it into the cup, where it fell with a 
clink. 

She cried: “ That is my ring. The man who is 
to deliver me must be here.” 

They searched for him all over the castle, but 
could not find him, for he had gone outside, taken 
off the cloak, and mounted his horse. 

When the people came to the gate and saw 
him, they raised cries of joy. 

He dismounted and took the Princess in his 
arms. She kissed him, and said, “ Now you have 
delivered me, and to-morrow we will celebrate 
our marriage.” 


THE goosegirl; 



HERE was once an old queen whose hus- 


band had been dead for many years, and 
she had a very beautiful daughter. When she 
grew up she was betrothed to a prince in a dis- 
tant country. When the time came for the 
maiden to be sent into this distant country to be 
married, the old queen packed up quantities of 
clothes and jewels, gold and silver, cups and 
ornaments, and, in fact, everything suitable to a 
royal outfit, for she loved her daughter very 
dearly. 

She also sent a waiting-woman to travel with 
her, and to put her hand into that of the bride- 
groom. They each had a horse. The princess’s 
horse was called F alada, and it could speak. 

When the hour of departure came, the old 
queen went to her bedroom, and with a sharp 
little knife cut her finger and made it bleed. 
Then she held a piece of white cambric under 
it, and let three drops of blood fall onto it. This 
cambric she gave to her daughter, and said, 


82 


THE GOOSEGIRL 


“ Dear child, take good care of this ; it will stand 
you in good stead on the journey.” They then 
bade each other a sorrowful farewell. The Prin- 
cess hid the piece of cambric in her bosom, 
mounted her horse, and set out to her bride- 
groom’s country. 

When they had ridden for a time the Princess 
became very thirsty, and said to the waiting- 
woman, “ Get down and fetch me some water in 
my cup from the stream. I must have something 
to drink.” 

44 If you are thirsty,” said the waiting-woman, 
44 dismount yourself, lie down by the water and 
drink. I don’t choose to be your servant.” 

So, in her great thirst, the Princess dismounted 
and stooped down to the stream and drank, as 
she might not have her golden cup. The poor 
Princess said, 44 Alas ! ” and the drops of blood 
answered, 44 If your mother knew this, it would 
break her heart.” 

The royal bride was humble, so she said noth- 
ing, but mounted her horse again. Then they 
rode several miles further; but the day was warm, 
the sun was scorching, and the Princess was soon 
very thirsty again. 

When they reached a river she called out 



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THE GOOSEGIRL 83 

again to her waiting-woman, “ Get down, and 
give me some water in my golden cup ! ” 

She had forgotten all about the rude words 
which had been said to her. But the waiting- 
woman answered more haughtily than ever, “ If 
you want to drink, get the water for yourself. 
I won’t be your servant.” 

Being very thirsty, the Princess dismounted, 
and knelt by the flowing water. She cried, and 
said, “ Ah me!” and the drops of blood an- 
swered, “ If your mother knew this it would 
break her heart.” 

While she stooped over the water to drink, the 
piece of cambric with the drops of blood on it 
fell out of her bosom, and floated away on the 
stream; but she never noticed this in her great 
fear. The waiting-woman, however, had seen it, 
and rejoiced at getting more power over the 
bride, who, by losing the drops of blood, had 
become weak and powerless. 

Now, when she was about to mount her horse 
Falada again, the waiting-woman said, “ By 
rights, Falada belongs to me; this horse will do 
for you!” 

The poor little princess was obliged to give 
way. Then the waiting- woman, in a harsh voice, 


84 


THE GOOSEGIRL 

ordered her to take off her royal robes, and to 
put on her own mean garments. Finally, she 
forced her to swear before heaven that she would 
not tell a creature at the court what had taken 
place. Had she not taken the oath she would 
have been killed on the spot. But Falada saw 
all this and marked it. 

The waiting-woman then mounted Falada and 
put the real bride on her poor horse, and they 
continued their journey. 

There was great rejoicing when they arrived 
at the castle. The Prince hurried towards them, 
and lifted the waiting-woman from her horse, 
thinking she was his bride. She was led up- 
stairs, but the real princess had to stay below. 

The old king looked out of the window and 
saw the delicate, pretty little creature standing 
in the courtyard ; so he went to the bridal apart- 
ment and asked the bride about her companion, 
who was left standing in the courtyard, and 
wished to know who she was. 

“ I picked her up on the way, and brought her 
with me for company. Give the girl something 
to do to keep her from idling.” 

But the old king had no work for her, and 
could not think of anything. At last he said, “ I 


THE GOOSEGIRL 85 

have a little lad who looks after the geese; she 
may help him.” 

The boy was called little Conrad, and the real 
bride was sent with him to look after the geese. 

Soon after, the false bride said to the Prince, 
“ Dear husband, I pray you do me a favor.” 

He answered, “ That will I gladly.” 

“ Well, then, have the headsman cut off the 
head of the horse I rode; it angered me on the 
way.” 

Really, she was afraid that the horse would 
speak, and tell of her treatment of the Princess. 
So, as the false bride asked, it was settled. 

When this came to the ears of the real Prin- 
cess, she promised the headsman a piece of gold 
if he would do her a slight service. There was a 
great dark gateway to the town, through which 
she had to pass every morning and evening. 
Would he nail up Falada’s head in this gateway, 
so that she might see him as she passed? 

The headsman promised to do as she wished, 
and when the horse’s head was cut off, he hung 
it up in the dark gateway. In the early morning, 
when she and Conrad went through the gateway, 
she said in passing: 

“ Alas ! dear Falada, there thou hangest.” 


86 


THE GOOSEGIRL 


And the head answered: 

“ Alas ! Queen’s daughter, there thou gangest. 

If thy mother knew thy fate, 

Her heart would break with grief so great.” 

Then they passed on out of the town, right 
into the fields, with the geese. When they 
reached the meadow, the Princess sat down on 
the grass and let down her hair. It shone like 
pure gold, and when little Conrad saw it, he was 
so delighted that he wanted to pluck some out; 
but she said: 


“Blow, blow, little breeze, 

And Conrad’s hat seize. 

Let him join in the chase 
While away it is whirled, 

Till my tresses are curled 
And I rest in my place.” 

Then a strong wind sprang up, which blew 
away Conrad’s hat right over the fields, and he 
had to run after it. When he came back, she had 
finished combing her hair, and it was all put up 
again; so he could not get a single hair. This 
made him very sulky, and he would not say an- 
other word to her. And they tended the geese 
till evening, when they went home. 


THE GOOSEGIRL 


87 


Next morning, when they passed under the 
gateway, the Princess said: 

“Alas! dear Falada, there thou hangest.” 

Falada answered: 

“ Alas ! Queen’s daughter, there thou gangest. 

If thy mother knew thy fate, 

Her heart would break with grief so great.” 

Again, when they reached the meadows, the 
Princess undid her hair and began combing it. 
Conrad ran to pluck some out; but she said 
quickly: 

“ Blow, blow, little breeze, 

And Conrad’s hat seize. | 

Let him join in the chase 
While away it is whirled, 

Till my tresses are curled 
And I rest in my place.” 

The wind sprang up and blew Conrad’s hat 
far away over the fields, and he had to run after 
it. When he came back the hair was all put up 
again, and he could not pull a single hair out. 
And they tended the geese till the evening. 
When they got home Conrad went to the old 
king, and said, “ I won’t tend the geese with that 
maiden again.” 


88 


THE GOOSEGIRL 


“ Why not? ” asked the King. 

“ Oh, she vexes me every day.” 

The old king then ordered him to tell what she 
did to vex him. 

Conrad said, “ In the morning, when we pass 
under the dark gateway with the geese, she talks 
to a horse’s head which is hung up on the wall. 
She says : 

“ 4 Alas ! Falada, there thou hangest,* 
and the Head answers : 

“ 4 Alas ! Queen’s daughter, there thou gangest. 

If thy mother knew thy fate, 

Her heart would break with grief so great.’ ” 

Then Conrad went on to tell the King all that 
happened in the meadow, and how he had to run 
after his hat in the wind. 

The old king ordered Conrad to go out next 
day as usual. Then he placed himself behind 
the dark gateway, and heard the Princess speak- 
ing to Falada’s head. He also followed her into 
the field, and hid himself behind a bush, and with 
his own eyes he saw the Goosegirl and the lad 
come driving the geese into the field. Then, 
after a time, he saw the girl let down her hair, 


THE GOOSEGIRL 89 

which glittered in the sun. Directly after this, 
she said: 

“ Blow, blow, little breeze, 

And Conrad’s hat seize. 

Let him join in the chase 
While away it is whirled, 

Till my tresses are curled 
And I rest in my place.” 

Then came a puff of wind, which carried off 
Conrad’s hat and he had to run after it. While 
he was away, the maiden combed and did up her 
hair; and all this the old king observed. There- 
upon he went away unnoticed; and in the even- 
ing, when the Goosegirl came home, he called her 
aside and asked why she did all these things. 

“ That I may not tell you, nor may I tell any 
human creature; for I have sworn it under the 
open sky, because if I had not done so I should 
have lost my life.” 

He pressed her sorely, and gave her no peace, 
but he could get nothing out of her. Then he 
said, “ If you won’t tell me, then tell your sor- 
rows to the iron stove there ” ; and he went away. 

She crept up to the stove, and, beginning to 
weep and lament, unburdened her heart to it, 
and said: “ Here I am, forsaken by all the world, 


90 


THE GOOSEGIRL 

and yet I am a princess. A false waiting-woman 
brought me to such a pass that I had to take off 
my royal robes. Then she took my place with 
my bridegroom, while I have to do mean service 
as a goosegirl. If my mother knew it she would 
break her heart.” 

The old king stood outside by the pipes of the 
stove, and heard all that she said. Then he came 
back, and told her to go away from the stove. 
He caused royal robes to be put upon her, and 
her beauty was a marvel. The old king called 
his son, and told him that he had a false bride — 
she was only a waiting- woman ; but the true bride 
was here, the so-called Goosegirl. 

The young prince was charmed with her youth 
and beauty. A great banquet was prepared, to 
which all the courtiers and good friends were 
bidden. The bridegroom sat at the head of the 
table, with the Princess on one side and the wait- 
ing-woman at the other ; but she was dazzled, and 
did not recognize the Princess in her brilliant ap- 
parel. 

When they had eaten and drunk and were all 
very merry, the old king put a riddle to the wait- 
ing-woman. “ What does a person deserve who 
deceives his master? ” telling the whole story, and 


THE GOOSEGIRL 91 

ending by asking, “ What doom does he de- 
serve? ” 

The false bride answered, “No better than 
this. He must be put stark naked into a barrel 
stuck with nails, and be dragged along by two 
white horses from street to street till he is dead.” 

“ That is your own doom,” said the King, 
“ and the judgment shall be carried out.” 

When the sentence was fulfilled, the young 
prince married his true bride, and they ruled their 
kingdom together in peace and happiness. 


CINDERELLA 

{German Version) 


HE wife of a rich man fell ill, and when she 



-*■ felt that she was nearing her end, she called 
her only daughter to her bedside, and said: 

“ Dear child, continue devout and good, then 
God will always help you, and I will look down 
upon you from heaven, and watch over you.” 

Thereupon she closed her eyes, and breathed 
her last. 

The maiden went to her mother’s grave every 
day and wept, and she continued to be devout 
and good. When the winter came, the snow 
spread a white covering on the grave, and when 
the sun of spring had unveiled it again, the hus- 
band took another wife. The new wife brought 
home with her two daughters, who were fair and 
beautiful to look upon, but base and black at 
heart. 

Then began a sad time for the unfortunate 
stepchild. 


CINDERELLA 


93 


“ Is this stupid goose to sit with us in the par- 
lor? ” they said. 

“ Whoever wants to eat bread must earn it; 
go and sit with the kitchen maid.” 

They took away her pretty clothes, and made 
her put on an old gray frock, and gave her 
wooden shoes. 

“ Just look at the proud princess, how well 
she’s dressed,” they laughed, as they led her to 
the kitchen. There, the girl was obliged to do 
hard work from morning till night, to get up at 
daybreak, carry water, light the fire, cook, and 
wash. Not content with that, the sisters vexed 
her in every way they could think of ; they made 
fun of her, and tossed the peas and beans among 
the ashes, so that she had to sit down and pick 
them out again. In the evening, when she was 
worn out with work, she had no bed to go to, but 
had to lie on the hearth among the cinders. And 
because, on account of that, she always looked 
dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella. 

It happened one day that the father had a 
mind to go to the fair. So he asked both his 
stepdaughters what he should bring home for 
them. 

“ Fine clothes,” said one. 


94 


CINDERELLA 


“ Pearls and jewels,” said the other. 

“ But you, Cinderella? ” said he, “ what will 
you have? ” 

“ Father, break off for me the first twig 
which brushes against your hat on your way 
home.” 

Well, for his two stepdaughters he brought 
beautiful clothes, pearls and jewels, and on his 
way home, as he was riding through a wood, a 
hazel twig knocked his hat off. Then he broke 
off the branch and took it with him. 

When he got home he gave his stepdaughters 
what they had asked for, and to Cinderella he 
gave the twig from the hazel bush. 

Cinderella thanked him, and went to her moth- 
er’s grave and planted the twig upon it; she wept 
so much that her tears fell and watered it. And 
it took root and became a fine tree. 

Cinderella went to the grave three times every 
day, wept and prayed, and every time a little 
white bird came and perched upon the tree, and 
when she uttered a wish, the little bird threw 
down to her what she had wished for. 

Now it happened that the King proclaimed a 
festival, which was to last three days, and to 
which all the beautiful maidens in the country 


CINDERELLA 95 

were invited, in order that his son might choose 
a bride. 

When the two stepdaughters heard that they 
were invited, they were in high spirits, called 
Cinderella, and said: 

“ Brush our hair and clean our shoes, and 
fasten our buckles, for we are going to the feast 
at the King’s palace.” 

Cinderella obeyed, but wept, for she also would 
gladly have gone to the ball with them, and 
begged her stepmother to let her go. 

“ You, Cinderella! ” she said. “ Why, you are 
covered with dust and dirt. You go to the festi- 
val! Besides you have no clothes or shoes, and 
yet you want to go to the ball.” 

As she, however, went on asking, her step- 
mother said: 

“ Well, I have thrown a dishful of beans into 
the cinders, if you have picked them all out in 
two hours you shall go with us.” 

The girl went through the back door into the 
garden, and cried, “ Ye gentle doves, ye turtle 
doves, and all ye little birds under heaven, come 
and help me, 

66 The good into a dish to throw, 

The bad into your crops can go.” 


96 CINDERELLA' 

Then two white doves came in at the kitchen 
window, and were followed by the turtle doves, 
and finally all the little birds under heaven 
flocked in, chirping, and settled down among the 
ashes. And the doves gave a nod with their little 
heads, peck, peck, peck; and then the rest began 
also, peck, peck, peck, and collected all the good 
beans into the dish. Scarcely had an hour passed 
before they had finished, and all flown out 
again. 

Then the girl brought the dish to her step- 
mother, and was delighted to think that now she 
would be able to go to the feast with them. 

Rut she said, “ No, Cinderella, you have no 
clothes, and cannot dance; you will only be 
laughed at.” 

But when she began to cry, the stepmother 
said: 

“ If you can pick out two whole dishes of 
beans from the ashes in an hour, you shall go 
with us.” 

And she thought, “ She will never be able to 
do that.” 

When her stepmother had thrown the dishes of 
beans among the ashes, the girl went out through 
the back door, and cried, “ Ye gentle doves, ye 


CINDERELLA 97 

turtle cloves, and all ye little birds under heaven, 
come and help me, 

“ The good into a dish to throw, 

The bad into your crops can go.” 

Then two white doves came in by the kitchen 
window, and were followed by the turtle doves, 
and all the other little birds under heaven, and in 
less than an hour the whole had been picked up, 
and they had all flown away. 

Then the girl carried the dish to her step- 
mother, and was delighted to think that she 
would now be able to go to the ball. 

But she said, “ It’s not a bit of good. You 
can’t go with us, for you’ve got no clothes, and 
you can’t dance. We should be quite ashamed 
of you.” 

Thereupon she turned her back upon her, and 
hurried off with her two proud daughters. 

As soon as every one had left the house, Cin- 
derella went out to her mother’s grave under the 
hazel-tree, and cried: 

“ Shiver and shake, dear little tree, 

Gold and silver shower on me.” 

Then the bird threw down to her a gold and 


98 CINDERELLA 

silver robe, and a pair of slippers embroidered 
with silk and silver. With all speed she put on 
the robe and went to the feast. But her step- 
sisters and their mother did not recognize her, 
and supposed that she was some foreign princess, 
so beautiful was she in her golden dress. 

The Prince came up to the stranger, took her 
by the hand, and danced with her. In fact, he 
would not dance with any one else, and never let 
go of her hand. If any one came up to ask her 
to dance, he said, “ This is my partner.” 

She danced until nightfall, and then wanted 
to go home; but the Prince said, “ I will go with 
you and escort you.” For he wanted to know 
who the beautiful maiden was. 

But she slipped out of his way and sprang into 
the pigeon-house. 

Then the Prince waited till her father came, 
and told him that the unknown maiden had van- 
ished into the pigeon-house. 

The father thought, “ Could it be Cinderella? ” 
And he had an ax brought him, so that he might 
break down the pigeon-house, but there was no 
one inside. 

When they went home, there lay Cinderella 
in her dirty clothes among the cinders, and a dis- 


CINDERELLA 


99 


mal oil lamp was burning in the chimney corner. 
For Cinderella had quietly jumped down out of 
the pigeon-house and run back to the hazel-tree. 
There she had taken off her beautiful clothes and 
laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken 
them away again. Then she had settled herself 
among the ashes on the hearth in her old gray 
dress. 

On the second day of the festival, when her 
parents and stepsisters had started forth again, 
Cinderella went to the hazel-tree, and said: 

“ Shiver and shake, dear little tree, 

Gold and silver shower on me.” 

Then the bird threw down an even more gor- 
geous robe than on the previous day. And when 
she appeared at the festival in this robe, every 
one was astonished at her beauty. 

The King’s son had waited till she came, and 
at once took her hand, and she danced with no 
one but him. When others came and invited her 
to dance, he said, “ This is my partner.” 

At nightfall she wished to leave; but the 
Prince went after her, hoping to see into what 
house she went, but she sprang out into the gar- 
den behind the house. There stood a fine big 


100 


CINDERELLA 

tree on which the most delicious pears hung. 
She climbed up among the branches as nimbly 
as a squirrel, and the Prince could not make out 
what had become of her. 

But he waited till her father came, and then 
said to him, “ The unknown maiden has slipped 
away from me, and I think that she has jumped 
into the pear-tree.” 

The father thought, “ Can it be Cinderella? ” 
And he had the ax brought to cut down the tree, 
but there was no one in it. When they went 
home and looked in the kitchen, there lay Cin- 
derella among the cinders as usual; for she had 
jumped down on the other side of the tree, taken 
back the beautiful clothes to the bird on the 
hazel-tree, and put on her old gray dress. 

On the third day, when her parents and sisters 
had started, Cinderella went again to her moth- 
er’s grave, and said: 

“ Sniver and shake, dear little tree, 

Gold and silver shower on me.” 

Then the bird threw down a dress which was 
so magnificent that no one had ever seen the like 
before, and the slippers were entirely of gold. 
When she appeared at the festival in this attire, 


CINDERELLA 


101 


they were all speechless with astonishment. The 
Prince danced only with her, and if any one else 
asked her to dance, he said, “ This is my part- 
ner. 

When night fell and she wanted to leave, the 
Prince was more eager than ever to go with her, 
but she darted away from him so quickly that he 
could not keep up with her. But the Prince had 
used a trick, and had had the steps covered with 
cobbler’s wax. So when the maiden sprang down 
the steps, her left slipper remained sticking there. 
The Prince picked it up. It was small and 
dainty, and made entirely of gold. 

The next morning he went with it to Cinder- 
ella’s father, and said to him, “ I will only have 
for a wife the one whose foot this golden slipper 
fits.” 

The two sisters were delighted at that, for they 
both had beautiful feet. The eldest went into 
the room intending to try on the slipper, and 
her mother stood beside her. But her great toe 
prevented her getting it on, her foot was too long. 

Then her mother handed her a knife, and said, 
“ Cut off the toe; when you are Queen you won’t 
have to walk any more.” 

The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into 


102 CINDERELLA 

the slipper, stifled her pain, and went out to the 
Prince. He took her up on his horse as his bride, 
and rode away with her. 

However, they had to pass the grave on the 
way, and there sat the two doves on the hazel- 
tree, and cried: 

“ Prithee, look back, pritKee, look back, 

There’s blood on the track, 

The shoe is too small, 

At home the true bride is waiting thy call.” 

Then he looked at her foot and saw how the 
blood was streaming from it. So he turned his 
horse round and carried the false bride back to 
her home, and said that she was not the right one; 
the second sister must try the shoe. 

The second sister went into the room, and suc- 
ceeded in getting her toes into the shoe, but her 
heel was too big. 

Then her mother handed her a knife, and said, 
“ Cut a bit off your heel; when you are Queen 
you won’t have to walk any more.” 

The maiden cut a bit off her heel, forced her 
foot into the shoe, stifled her pain, and went out 
to the Prince. 

Then he took her up on his horse as his bride, 
and rode off with her. 


CINDERELLA 


103 


Äs they passed the grave, the two doves were 
sitting on the hazel-tree, and crying: 

“ Prithee, look back, prithee, look back, 

There’s blood on the track, 

The shoe is too small, 

At home the true bride is waiting thy call.” 

He looked down at her foot and saw that it 
was streaming with blood, and there were deep 
red spots on her stockings. Then he turned his 
horse and brought the false bride back to her 
home. 

“ This is not the right one either,” he said. 
“ Have you no other daughter? ” 

“ No,” said the man. “ There is only a daugh- 
ter of my late wife’s, a stupid drudge, but she 
cannot possibly be the bride.” 

The Prince said that she must be sent for. 

But the mother answered, “ Oh, no, she is 
much too dirty; she mustn’t be seen on any ac- 
count.” 

He was, however, absolutely determined to 
have his way, and they were obliged to send for 
Cinderella. 

When she had washed her hands and face, she 
went up and curtsied to the Prince, who handed 
her the golden slipper. 


104 


CINDERELLA 


Then she sat down on a bench, pulled off her 
wooden shoe and put on the slipper, which fitted 
perfectly. 

And when she stood up and the Prince looked 
at her face, he recognized the beautiful maiden 
that he had danced with, and cried: “ This is the 
true bride ! ” 

The stepmother and the two sisters turned 
white with rage; but he took Cinderella on his 
horse and rode off with her. 

As they rode past the hazel-tree the two white 
doves cried: 

“ Prithee, look back, prithee, look back, 

No blood’s on the track, 

The shoe’s not too small, 

You carry the true bride home to your hall.” 

And when they had said this they both came 
flying down, and settled on Cinderella’s shoul- 
ders, one on the right, and one on the left, and 
remained perched there. 


THE FROG PRINCE 


TN the old times, when it was still of some use 
^ to wish for the thing one wanted, there lived a 
king whose daughters were all handsome, but the 
youngest was so beautiful that the sun himself, 
who has seen so much, wondered each time he 
shone on her because of her beauty. Near the 
royal castle there was a great dark wood, and in 
the wood under an old linden-tree was a well; 
and when the day was hot, the King’s daughter 
used to go forth into the wood and sit by the 
brink of the cool well, and if the time seemed 
long, she would take out a golden ball, and throw 
it up and catch it again, and this was her favorite 
game. 

Now it happened one day that the golden ball, 
instead of falling back into the maiden’s little 
hand which had sent it aloft, dropped to the 
ground near the edge of the well and rolled in. 
The King’s daughter followed it with her eyes 
as it sank, but the well was deep, so deep that the 
bottom could not be seen. Then she began to 
weep, and she wept and wept as if she could 


106 THE FROG PRINCE 

never be comforted. And in the midst of her 
weeping she heard a voice saying to her: 

“ What ails thee, king’s daughter? thy tears 
would melt a heart of stone.” 

And when she looked to see where the voice 
came from there was nothing but a frog stretch- 
ing his thick ugly head out of the water. 

“Oh, is it you, old waddler?” said she; “I 
weep because my golden ball has fallen into the 
well.” 

“ Never mind, do not weep,” answered the 
frog; “ I can help you; but what will you give 
me if I fetch up your ball again? ” 

“ Whatever you like, dear frog,” said she; 
“ any of my clothes, my pearls and jewels, or 
even the golden crown that I wear.” 

“ Thy clothes, thy pearls and jewels, and thy 
golden crown are not for me,” answered the 
frog; “ but if thou wouldst love me, and have me 
for thy companion and playfellow, and let me 
sit by thee at table, and eat from thy plate, and 
drink from thy cup, and sleep in thy little bed, — 
if thou wouldst promise all this, then would I 
dive below the water and fetch thee thy golden 
ball again.” 

“ Oh, yes,” she answered; “ I will promise it 






















































. 










































































THE FROG PRINCE 107 

all, whatever you want, if you will only get me 
my ball again.” 

But she thought to herself, “ What nonsense 
he talks ! as if he could do anything hut sit in the 
water and croak with the other frogs, or could 
possibly be any one’s companion.” 

But the frog, as soon as he heard her promise, 
drew his head under the water and sank down 
out of sight, but after a while he came to the 
surface again with the ball in his mouth, and he 
threw it on the grass. 

The King’s daughter was delighted to see her 
pretty plaything again, and she caught it up and 
ran off with it. 

“Stop, stop!” cried the frog; “take me up 
too; I cannot run as fast as you! ” 

But it was of no use, for croak, croak after her 
as he might, she would not listen to him, but 
made haste home, and very soon forgot all about 
the poor frog, who had to take himself to his well 
again. 

The next day, when the King’s daughter was 
sitting at table with the King and all the court, 
and eating from her golden plate, there came 
something pitter patter up the marble stairs, and 
then there came a knocking at the door, and a 


108 THE FROG PRINCE 

voice crying, “ Youngest King’s daughter, let 
me in! ” 

And she got up and ran to see who it could he, 
hut when she opened the door, there was the frog 
sitting outside. Then she shut the door hastily 
and went back to her seat, feeling very uneasy. 
The King noticed how quickly her heart was 
beating, and said: 

“ My child, what are you afraid of? Is there 
a giant standing at the door ready to carry you 
away? ” 

“Oh, no,” answered she; “no giant, but a 
horrid frog.” 

“ And what does the frog want? ” asked the 
King. 

“ Oh, dear father,” answered she, “ when I was 
sitting by the well yesterday, and playing with 
my golden ball, it fell into the water, and while 
I was crying for the loss of it, the frog came and 
got it again for me on condition I would let him 
be my companion, but I never thought that he 
could leave the water and come after me; but 
now there he is outside the door, and he wants to 
come in to me.” 

And then they all heard him knocking the sec- 
ond time and crying: 


THE FROG PRINCE 


109 


“ Youngest King’s daughter, 

Open to me! 

By the well water 
What promised you me? 

Youngest King’s daughter, 

Now open to me! ” 

“ That which thou hast promised must thou 
perform,” said the King sternly; “ so go now and 
let him in.” 

So she went and opened the door, and the frog 
hopped in, following at her heels, till she reached 
her chair. Then he stopped and cried: 

“ Lift me up to sit by you.” 

But she delayed doing so until the King or- 
dered her. When once the frog was on the chair, 
he wanted to get on the table, and there he sat 
and said: 

“Now push your golden plate a little nearer, 
so that we may eat together.” 

And so she did, but everybody could see how 
unwilling she was, and the frog feasted heartily, 
but every morsel seemed to stick in her throat. 

“ I have had enough now,” said the frog at 
last, “ and as I am tired, you must carry me to 
your room, and make ready your silken bed, and 
we will lie down and go to sleep.” 


110 


THE FROG PRINCE 


Then the King’s daughter began to weep, for 
she was afraid of the cold frog, that wanted to 
sleep in her pretty clean bed. Now the King 
grew angry with her, saying: 

“ That which thou hast promised, thou must 
now perform.” 

So she picked up the frog with her finger and 
thumb, carried him up-stairs and put him in a 
corner, and when she had lain down to sleep, he 
came creeping up, saying, “ I am tired and want 
sleep as much as you; take me up, or I will tell 
your father.” 

Then she grew angry, and picking him up, she 
threw him with all her strength against the wall, 
crying: 

“ Now will you be quiet, you horrid frog! ” 

But as he fell, he ceased to be a frog, and be- 
came all at once a prince with beautiful kind 
eyes. And it came to pass that, with her father’s 
consent, they became bride and bridegroom. 
And he told her how a wicked witch had bound 
him by her spells, and how no one but she alone 
could have released him, and that they two would 
go together to his father’s kingdom. And there 
came to the door a carriage drawn by eight white 
horses, with white plumes on their heads, and 


THE FROG PRINCE 


111 


with golden harness, and behind the carriage was 
standing faithful Henry, the servant of the 
young prince. Now, faithful Henry had suf- 
fered such care and pain when his master was 
turned into a frog, that he had been obliged to 
wear three iron bands over his heart, to keep it 
from breaking with trouble and anxiety. When 
the carriage started to take the Prince to his 
kingdom, and faithful Henry had helped them 
both in, he got up behind, and was full of joy at 
his master’s deliverance. And when they had 
gone a part of the way, the Prince heard a sound 
at the back of the carriage, as if something had 
broken, and he turned round and cried: 

“Henry, the wheel must be breaking!” but 
Henry answered: 

“ The wheel does not break, 

’Tis the band round my heart 
That, to lessen its ache, 

When I grieved for your sake, 

I bound round my heart.” 

Again, and yet once again there was the same 
sound, and the Prince thought it must be the 
wheel breaking, but it was the breaking of the 
other bands from faithful Henry’s heart, because 
it was now so relieved and happy. 


RED RIDING HOOD 


T HERE was once a sweet little maiden, who 
was loved by all who knew her; but she was 
especially dear to her grandmother, who did not 
know how to make enough of the child. Once 
she gave her a little red velvet cloak. It was so 
becoming, and she liked it so much, that she 
would never wear anything else; and so she got 
the name of Red Riding Hood. 

One day her mother said to her: “ Come here, 
Red Riding Hood, take this cake and a bottle of 
wine to grandmother; she is weak and ill, and 
they will do her good. Go quickly, before it gets 
hot, and don’t loiter by the way, or run, or you 
will fall down and break the bottle, and there 
would be no wine for grandmother. When you 
get there, don’t forget to say, ‘ Good-morning ’ 
prettily, without staring about you.” 

“ I will do just as you tell me,” Red Riding 
Hood promised her mother. 

Her grandmother lived away in the woods, a 
good half-hour from the village. When she got 
to the wood, she met a wolf; but Red Riding 


RED RIDING HOOD 113 

Hood did not know what a wicked animal he 
was, so she was not a hit afraid of him. 

“ Good-morning, Red Riding Hood,” he 
said. 

“ Good-morning, wolf,” she answered. 

“ Whither away so early, Red Riding Hood? ” 

“ To grandmother’s.” 

“ What have you got in your basket? ” 

“ Cake and wine; we baked yesterday, so I’m 
taking a cake to grannie ; she wants something to 
make her well.” 

“ Where does your grandmother live, Red 
Riding Hood? ” 

“A good quarter of an hour further into the 
wood. Her house stands under three big oak 
trees, near a hedge of nut trees which you must 
know,” said Red Riding Hood. 

The wolf thought: “ This tender little creature 
will be a plump morsel ; she will be nicer than the 
old woman. I must be cunning, and snap them 
both up.” 

He walked along with Red Riding Hood for 
a while, then he said: “ Look at the pretty flow- 
ers, Red Riding Hood. Why don’t you look 
about you? I don’t believe you even hear the 
birds sing, you are just as solemn as if you were 


114 


RED RIDING HOOD 


going to school ; everything else is so gay out here 
in the woods.” 

Red Riding Hood raised her eyes, and when 
she saw the sunlight dancing through the trees, 
and all the bright flowers, she thought: “I’m 
sure grannie would be pleased if I took her a 
bunch of fresh flowers. It is still quite early, I 
shall have plenty of time to pick them.” 

So she left the path, and wandered off among 
the trees to pick the flowers. Each time she 
picked one, she always saw another prettier one 
further on. So she went deeper and deeper into 
the forest. 

In the meantime the wolf went straight off to 
the grandmother’s cottage, and knocked at the 
door. 

“ Who is there? ” 

“ Red Riding Hood, bringing you a cake and 
some wine. Open the door ! ” 

“ Press the latch! ” cried the old woman. “ I 
am too weak to get up.” 

The wolf pressed the latch, and the door 
sprang open. He went straight in and up to the 
bed without saying a word, and ate up the poor 
old woman. Then he put on her nightdress and 
nightcap, got into bed and drew the curtains. 


RED RIDING HOOD 115 

Red Riding Hood ran about picking flowers 
till she could carry no more, and then she remem- 
bered her grandmother again. She was aston- 
ished when she got to the house to find the door 
open, and when she entered the room everything 
seemed so strange. 

She felt quite frightened, but she did not know 
why. 4 4 Generally I like coming to see grand- 
mother so much,” she thought. She cried: 
“ Good-morning, grandmother,” but she received 
no answer. 

Then she went up to the bed and drew the cur- 
tain back. There lay her grandmother, but she 
had drawn her cap down over her face, and she 
looked very odd. 

44 Oh, grandmother, what big ears you have 
got,” she said. 

44 The better to hear with, my dear.” 

44 Grandmother, what big eyes you have got.” 

44 The better to see with, my dear.” 

44 What big hands you have got, grandmother.” 

44 The better to catch hold of you with, my 
dear.” 

44 But, grandmother, what big teeth you have 
got.” 

44 The better to eat you up with, my dear.” 


116 


RED RIDING HOOD 


Hardly had the wolf said this, than he made a 
spring out of bed and tried to catch poor little 
Red Riding Hood. 

Luckily, however, a huntsman was just then 
passing the house and thought, “ How loudly the 
old lady is snoring this morning. I must see if 
there is anything the matter with her.” So he 
went into the house and seeing the wolf about to 
attack little Red Riding Hood, he raised his gun 
and fired. 

The huntsman skinned the wolf and took the 
skin home. Red Riding Hood ran back home to 
her mother and promised never again to wander 
off into the woods if her mother forbade it. 


THE END 










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